Force Without Balance
by Sir Lucifer Morningstar
Summary: An edgy hardcore Skyrim Player completes what he believes to be an amazing feat in game, only to wake up the following morning realizing that he had become far more intimate with his character than he ever dreamed of being. Now, if only someone could explain why he was in Japan, and why floating words from the game appeared at the most inopportune moments. DarkFic. Semi-Gamer Fic.
1. Prologue

**This little fucker right here... This story is the reason I haven't updated anything else. It popped into my head when writing, and then it STUCK, and I couldn't get any fucking work done until I had it typed out.**

 **Also, cause I've been replaying Skyrim of late, and was fucking disappointed at the lack of High School DxD and Skyrim crossovers than weren't shitty, incomplete, or abandoned.**

 **So here I am, contending - in the fucking High School DxD Section.**

 **Oh boyyyy... The Devil is here and he is here to stay.**

 **WARNINGS: As it is your friendly neighborhood edgelord writing this _,_ this story will contain: instances and/or mentions of graphic violence, sexual assault, rape, torture, mutilation, incest, necrophilia and/or bestiality (cause vampires, werewolves et al) gore, psychological manipulation, occasional edginess, horrifying mindfucking revelations, angst, tentacles, lolicons and/or pedophilia (cause DxD is often fucking ambiguous about age) and things that you can be rest assured would forever ban you from heaven. **

**Tread with caution - you have been warned.**

* * *

 **Force Without Balance**

 **Prologue**

* * *

"… _huh? S-Seth? What's –_ "

"I did it dude!" I yelled over the phone, grinning excitedly. "I finally fucking did it!"

" _Wha_? _Did what?"_

I stared in satisfaction at the computer screen in front of me, before pushing the phone closer to my ear and gripping it tighter.

"I finally killed every single person in Skyrim!"

"… _You – you what?_ "

"You heard me! I killed _every last one!_ Even the kids and the essential characters – I had to use a mod to make sure they _stayed_ dead though – and prevent any stupid respawning. But – I did it – I did it motherfucker!"

" _Seth… what the fuck – it's three in the fucking morning. You woke me up, at three in the morning – just to tell me that you killed off everyone in Skyrim?"_

"Well yeah! I mean come on – give me some fucking props here. I didn't even use console commands or god mode – oh, oh – and I started with Lydia. Fucking, stupid Lydia. Damn I wish I could fuck her. Or bang her. Or bang her and kill her." I sighed. "It hurt to kill some people though. Like the two daughters I adopted – and Serana – that sexy vampire – damn I wanna fuck Serana."

" _Seth, you're my friend, but you need some fucking help. No, really –"_

I snorted. "As if I you wouldn't bang her the first chance you could get."

" _She's not real –_ "

"I _know_ that – I'm not a fucking idiot." I said with a frown, before rubbing my eyes "I meant if she _was_ real – I'd like to strip her down, and sink my teeth into her, dribble her blood down her breasts as I used it for lube and then –"

" _Are you really going to tell me about your vampire rape fantasies at three in the fucking morning?"_

"Remind me who's helping you type your thesis paper again?"

"… _so after you lube her up with blood – what next?"_

I grinned. "Meh, never mind that." I turned my attention back to my PC, staring at my lone vampire lord character standing at the throat of the world. "I just kinda wish you could do sexual stuff in videogames – like… imagine if you could fuck people in Manhunt. I mean, we've got a shit ton of violence in videogames and movies, and no one bats an eye – but show a little bit of tits and pussy – and everyone loses their mind!"

" _Yeah, yeah, it's fucking crazy – I get it. Now, can I PLEASE get back to sleep?_ _I've got a fucking long lecture tomorrow morning – and the Professor is a stuck-up bitch that I can't handle unless I had some really great shut-eye."_

I yawned a bit, before frowning. "Fine – fine. I think I've got all the adrenaline out of my system anyway. I'll probably try killing everyone in Fallout New Vegas next. Or maybe Red Dead Redemption? That would definitely be more challenging. I'd need to bring my PS3 out of the wardrobe though."

" _Sure…. Buddy. You do that. I'm off to bed._ "

The phone call went off. Yawning again, I plugged in the device to the charger, before turning my attention back to my PC, and back to my Imperial Vampire-Lord character. **Ragnar Lothbrok** was what I'd christened him – an Imperial who'd made his way to the top of the Thieves' Guild, becoming Nightingale and Guild Master. The Dark Brotherhood, becoming Listener. The College of Winterhold, becoming Archmage. He fought his way across Skyrim for the Imperial Legion, and finally killed Ulfric Stormcloak, spitting in the man's dying wish by finishing him with a common iron dagger, rather than his own weapon. A man who had fought against the Dawnguard, siding with Serana and eventually killing Harkon. He had travelled to Solstheim and killed the annoying Dragonborn Miraak, showing the world his true power.

Then, he slayed Alduin – the eater of worlds, fulfilling his destiny, fulfilling prophecy – and saving all of Skyrim, if not the entire world.

Only to go around fetching items for random people, hunting down common bandits, and doing arbitrary, pointless, inane tasks.

I shook my head at the thought of it. I could almost envision it, the Dragonborn went mad from the fact that nothing he did, no feat he accomplished, actually ever changed anything. And so – in his rage, his anger, his undeniable boredom – he began a massacre – a genocide – a cleansing of Skyrim and all of its people. Killing his Thane and his own adopted daughters, before eliminating all of Whiterun, and travelling from land to land, through frozen tundra and sharp mountain peaks, using the power of his voice, the Thu'um, his Vampiric Powers, and his vast command of Conuration, Archery, and Magic to utterly decimate the world.

"And, once he had completed his task, he stood, alone, at the Throat of the World, the lone man in an empty, vast world filled with neither men nor beast – and so…"

I pushed forward on the 'W' key, watching as my character moved –

"The Legendary Dragonborn – dove off the Throat of the World, to his demise."

I grinned. Hell, it'd make one hell of a compelling tragedy. The stuff of legends – the fall of a mighty hero – a man who saved the world, only to destroy it. Would his soul forever be lost from Sovngarde? Claimed by Nocturnal? Wander the Soul Cairn? Taken for a jolly-ride by Sheogorath?

"… I need to get a fucking girlfriend."

I rubbed my eyes to remove the sleep from them, before hibernating my PC and turning around to jump on my bed. I'd probably be late to class tomorrow – but it didn't bother me much. I'd just give a token excuse and be pardoned – one of the benefits of being an honor student.

"Another day gone – another obscure world record broken." I yawned for the third time, the sleep completely overwhelming me.

"Now… for some epic, drift-off music…"

I put on my headphones, lulling off to the sweet, sweet chants of Lindsey Sterling's Skyrim Main Theme.

* * *

XXXX

* * *

" _Ah… An Elder Scroll... the power possessed within – the great and terrible things they can do."_

 _Uhh… whaa…?_

" _I've been waiting for you, or someone like you, for some time. You already know who I am do you not? Or perhaps you do not, in which case, I would be so very disappointed. Regardless – I believe in you – or perhaps, I believe more in your insanity. To see more of what this madness is capable of – I would very much like that."_

 _What?–_

" _Do be sure to have fun, and try your hardest not to die… it would be too dreadfully boring if you do."_

* * *

XXXX

* * *

"Ugh… fuck… my head…"

I awoke with a splitting headache, a sensation that felt as though I'd slammed my head against the closest rock and proceeded to use that rock as a pillow. This was _definitely_ going to be the last time I binge-played a videogame for hours on end – not to mention that weird dream. I could've sworn I'd heard that dialogue somewhere –

"Oi! Anata wa koko de nani o shite iru no?"

I felt my otaku senses tingling, causing my eyes to immediately snap open at the rather distinct sound of the Japanese language. The sight of the vast and open night sky immediately told me that I was not in my room anymore. More than that, I became aware of the fact that I was not on a bed either. Oh, no – I was on a bench. I was on a fucking _bench_ of all things.

"What… the fuck – is this someone's idea of a fucking joke?" I snarled, sitting up and immediately latching my gaze unto the first person I saw –

And it was a policeman.

 _Well, fuck_.

"Anata wa, cosplayerdesu ka?"

I didn't need to speak Japanese to understand what the man was saying, particularly because of the way he held his baton, and the way he began gesturing at me. I glanced down, immediately feeling no small amount of confusion at the outfit I was wearing. Slick, strong, but all the same, recognizable – the dark sheen of the **Nightingale Armor** was one of the few things I didn't think I'd be able to forget. More importantly, I could not possibly forget it, because it was my player character's ideal choice of garb.

I stood to my feet, examining myself very, very carefully, and also immediately realizing that I wasn't just garbed in the **Nightingale Armor** – I also had, at my sides, a small ornate dagger, and a long, Katana-like blade. I recognized them instantly. How could I not? Considering that they were my choice of weapons when I was not wielding a bow or chanting out spells – **Mehrunes' Razor** and **Harkon's Sword** – both weapons hummed softly to me.

Inwardly, I was panicking. No – fuck inwardly, I _was panicking_.

What the _fuck_ was going on?

This was way – _way_ too elaborate for my friend or anyone I knew _at all_ to have come up with as a prank. The Armor was _too_ well-made, and the swords – even in the brilliant shining night my eyes could make out their sheen.

Wait… _shining night?_

The world around me – it was night time, but yet, it wasn't. Or more accurately, I could see through the dark like it wasn't even there. Sources of light were magnified and I had to squint to look at them, but everything else seemed to shine –

"Ne, watashi wa anata no koto o ki ni shimasenga, anata wa nemuru koto ga dekimasen."

I turned my attention back to the man in front of me, and I watched as he seemed to nervously shift backwards, becoming defensive – why was he…?

Oh. It must be the **Nightingale Hood** I was wearing. I remembered that they gave a rather intimidating appearance –

I pulled off the hood, flickering my gaze back to the police officer, and then I spoke the one word I made sure to never forget how to speak in Japanese, just in case I ever _did_ find myself in Japan.

"Wakarimasen," _I don't understand._ "Japanese… er… Nippon… Nihon… Nihongo?" That should be it. "Wakarimasen Nihongo."

The police officer immediately frowned at me. "No understand? Naze? Show me pasupoto – show papers."

 _Well shit._ "Er… Wakarimasen wakarimasen! Uh… arigatou goshaimashu – sayonara!"

I turned around, and immediately made a break for it.

"Oi! Modotte!"

Like I was going to somehow explain to the police officers, to explain to _anyone_ , how I suddenly found myself sleeping on a park bench in Japan, dressed in Nightingale Armor. Oh, yeah, they'd certainly _love_ to listen to what I have to say.

No one I knew was rich enough to afford a prank like this – to send me to Japan and get custom made realistic armor and weapons. Not one of the motherfuckers I called my friends would have the money to afford any of this shit – so the idea that this was a prank, was rapidly wearing thin.

I dashed through the park, passing by a fountain, and making my way in any random direction without truly knowing where I was headed. My mind was a flurry of thoughts as I tried to think up a _logical_ reason for suddenly waking up in Japan, in Nightingale Armor, after having played and killed every last thing in Skyrim just the previous night.

… There was no connection.

Why Japan?! Sure, I loved anime and shit – but I had no intention of ever actually visiting the country – and, more importantly, why the hell in the world could I see so fucking clearly in the night?!

"Oi!"

Shit! I cursed as I turned around, finding the police officer hot on my tail, before growling as I tried to find the best place I could run to – or hide –

I took cover behind some bushes, doing my best to crouch down and not be seen –

And the police officer stopped cold in his tracks. He looked as confused as I felt, and I watched as he turned around and began searching for me in the opposite direction.

 _What…_

What he did – just now – it reminded me of the way people in Skyrim reacted when I snuck in battle – **Shadow Warrior** – was the name of the perk that made that happen –

 _No way… no… it can't possibly be…_

It was stupid of me to try, stupid of me to even think about doing it when I was still being searched for… but, while crouched on the grass, I moved one foot forward… and I rolled.

Quick and silent.

I rolled across the ground, and not even the slightest of noise was created. It shouldn't have been possible, despite hitting the ground and moving, my ears had heard absolutely no sound – almost as though I wasn't there.

"This can't seriously be happening…"

First, **Night Vision,** then the effects of **Shadow Warrior** , and now… **Silent Roll.** I was seeing a pattern here, a pattern which I did not want to believe. There was one sure-fire way to test out what I believed was happening to me – one insane, but definite way to know for sure that I was not losing my mind.

I peeked out of the bushes, finding the police officer standing with his back turned and scratching his head. Crouching as I was, I made my way over to him, and I was baffled at the complete silence of my approach. I stepped on a leaf, yet, the leaf neither crinkled nor made a sound, and if not for the fact that I was aware of my own existence and movement, I would have been eerily disconcerted by my own absolute silence.

I snuck behind the police officer, and I took a slow, deep breath.

I shoved my hands into his pockets, clenching my eyes –

He didn't move. He didn't even _notice._ How the hell could he not notice that there were hands in his pockets?

I found within it, a cellphone, wallet, car keys, and a packet of cigarettes, all of which I grabbed –

Only for all of them to disappear as I grabbed them.

 _What the fuck?_

I removed my hands from his pockets at that point, yet, I never lost my balance from crouching like a slav, and merely frowned at the sudden vanishing of what I took. So… instead, I glanced at the police officer – and then – I aimed for his pants.

I merely _touched_ them, and had to blink as my body moved on its own, rapidly unbuckling the belt and pulling off the item in a fraction of a second, before they vanished once again. Into air, or into _somewhere_ – the pants of the policeman were gone.

And he _still_ didn't notice.

 _What the fucking hell._

He was standing with his shirt tucked into a pair of blue striped boxers – and he didn't even seem to _realize_ something was amiss.

 **Perfect Touch** – the perk that granted the ability to pickpocket equipped items.

It confirmed what I thought, the crazy, insane thought that lingered at the back of my mind from the very second I woke up with the Nightingale Armor.

 _I've become a Skyrim Character…_

Judging by the perks, it wasn't just _any_ Skyrim character, but _my_ Skyrim character. My overpowered, broken Skyrim character. My Vampire Lord Archmage Nightingale Assassin Dragonborn character.

 _The world is screwed._

I resisted the urge to start laughing like a motherfucking maniac, only because the police officer was still in front of me, and was yet to realize the fact that he had no pants on. Instead, I stopped crouching, standing back to my full height which, I now noticed was significantly taller than the Japanese man.

"Hello officer."

The man immediately jerked at the sound of my voice, turning around –

And I merely crouched again – like a slav.

It was funny, downright hilarious actually, to watch someone try to find you when you were directly in front of them. It was even more hilarious, when said person suddenly realized that his pants were missing, and then screamed out in shock as he did.

 _Wait_.. _can I…?_

In the game – you couldn't pickpocket past the pants because it was one of those stupid censorship things were nudity was taboo. But – I was no longer in the game. So could I…?

I reached out to the panicking man as he turned around and was about to run –

And got treated to the sight of the butt cheeks of a middle-aged Japanese man.

… I hadn't thought this through, and now, I was forever scarred with the image of another man's naked butt. Fuck.

On the upside, it was amusing to watch a man with nothing but a police shirt, shoes and socks do his best to hightail it whilst protecting his dignity and modesty, but on the downside, I could have done without the sight of another man's naked butt, and swinging dick. So, I tried to focus more on the upsides again – which was, the fact that certain rules which were applied in the game did not apply to me – and I could in fact, pickpocket anything I wanted.

I stared at my hands, at the inherent power that I now possessed within them, the power of my character – the character who had slain the world, the character who slayed dragons on a daily basis and once beat a troll to death with nothing but his fists –

And now, _I_ had this power.

I took in a deep breath.

Okay, it was time to put on my thinking cap. I began walking down the path the police officer had run off too, knowing full well that after seeing a man fleeing without pants, I was less likely to draw as much suspicion and scrutiny. As it stood – I had zero idea as to where I was, except for the fact that I was somewhere in Japan. Why Japan? As of now, I had no clue. So, I needed to first and foremost, blend in to the environment and avoid drawing suspicion to myself. Following that, I would need a place to recollect myself and discover exactly where I was and how I got here, and figure out a way to go from there.

 **Task – Blend In**.

How did I go about doing that? For starters, not being dressed from head to toe in armor would certainly help. But, I didn't have anything on me at the moment that I could wear… which meant, it was time to dabble into one of the most useful skills in my **Illusion** arsenal.

I rose my hand, closing my eyes, and taking in a long, deep breath, before thinking of what it was that I required.

 **[Invisibility]**

I felt _something_ inside of me stir, a _pull_ against a force within, and then I opened my eyes –

I could not see my body.

The **[Spell]** had worked. Spells could work. _I could use my spells._ A part of me wanted to celebrate, but I knew that my job was just getting started. **[Invisibility]** only lasted 30 Seconds when using the spell, which was why I tended to resort to using potions instead. With the **Alchemy** skill tree maxed out and all perks purchased, and with some help from utilizing the infamous Alchemy-Enchanting exploit, I could brew a potion that could last for months. Of course, if I had a potion of **Fortify Illusion** , I would generally be able to extend the time-frame to far much longer.

I didn't have time to think too much about it, however, as I made my way across the park, and unto the roads which were surprisingly not that filled with people. I counted an internal clock in my head every thirty seconds, recasting the spell just as it ran out, enabling me to move across the streets without drawing unnecessary attention to myself.

The problem was… I had no idea where I was going. I'd need to get a different set of clothes so I stopped being invisible, and then I'd need to find myself a place to stay for the meanwhile… but I had no idea where to go to find either of those two things. This was where another rather useful spell in my arsenal came into effect.

 **[Clairvoyance]**

Rather than a wispy, smoky trail appearing and showing me the direction of where to go, the spell instead showed me that wispy trail in my head, along with the general location of where I was supposed to head, and the knowledge of what it looked like, flashing in my mind like a fond memory.

I moved with a renewed sense of purpose down the streets, ensuring to avoid bumping into people who were unaware of the invisible man walking down the road. It was strange, inexplicable, to be completely and utterly unseen, completely and utterly undetected – for people to pass you by without ever even realizing that you were there. Invisibility was a power I coveted, and I could think of no less than a hundred thousand different uses of it.

Within a few minutes, I made my way to what was apparently, the 'Red-Light' areas of the town. I remembered from once reading an article online about the existence of 'Love Hotels' in numerous different parts of Japan. Due to the laws about what actually constituted sexual intercourse, (which I believed, was purely 'vaginal penetration' and not much else), prostitution did exist in cheapened forms and in other services. Blowjobs, handjobs, footjobs, anal and a plethora of other paraphilia were not _technically_ considered sex, and hence not _technically_ prostitution. Part of me always wondered if that law, and the Japanese censorship laws were the reason for so many fucking diverse modes of hentai. Before the Japanese, the word 'tentacles' had not been associated with 'fucked senseless.'

I came to a stop in front of a shop that sold various types of clothes. Sauntering inside like an invisible wraith – I made my way through the aisles until I found a cool enough looking pair of jean pants, and then-, I crouched and touched it –

 _And it vanished._

My right eye twitched in irritation. Everything I touched or grabbed kept vanishing – almost as if –

 _Almost as if it's going somewhere._

Wait… could it be?

"Items." I whispered.

 **Favorites**

 **All**

 **Weapons**

 **Apparel**

 **Potions**

 **Food**

 **Ingredients**

 **Books**

 **Keys**

 **Misc**

FUCK YES!

Voice activated inventory? Portable storage space? The full enchilada was right fucking there. I didn't waste a second to rapidly scant through each one, confirming that every item I had while playing as Ragnar Lothbrok, I still possessed. Every potion, every ingredient, every book, weapon and Armor – _everything._ **Auriel's Bow, Mace of Molag Bal, Nightingale Sword, Daedric Arrows, Daedric Swords** – on and on it went. I had _everything_.

"Muahahahaha!"

I clapped my hand on my mouth when I realized that there were one or two people giving me weird looks, which told me that my invisibility had worn off, and I was now, very visibly, a guy in black Armor crouching in a shop in front of clothes.

Hopefully, they should think I'm one of those chuuni people than anything else. Which kind of sucked, cause I did not want to be the guy who went around acting like a fucking anime character.

I grabbed as many casual looking clothes as I could, watching how they vanished from a mere touch and were added to my **Apparel** panel immediately. With that done, I made my way into the nearest changing room, before equipping the items –

And the clothes appeared on my form with ease. It was _perfectly_ my size too.

Damn I loved videogame mechanics.

Now, I was dressed in a casual outfit of dark blue jeans, sneakers, and a leather jacket. I moved in front of the mirror, taking in my appearance –

"The hell?"

My eyes, were, unsurprisingly, the familiar red of a vampire. Or more accurately, I had red _pupils_. The 'whites' of my eyes were still 'white' rather than being a blackened color. More than that, my appearance – I was my character, but I looked _much_ younger. Actually, I looked my normal age – twentyish or so, instead of the full-grown, macho-man bearded adult that my character had been.

The problem was, as a Vampire Lord, I was immortal and hence could not age or die. Which meant… I would look like this… _forever_.

"FUCK."

Being a twenty-one year old for all of eternity? What sort of cruel torture was that?! I hoped I could still grow some macho facial hair, otherwise this would seriously suck. My black hair was smooth and slicked back, like a true vampire, and my facial features seemed to be slightly hovering between 'delinquent' and 'pretty boy' which was _not_ cool. Was this an effect of vampirism?

"Tsk. I'll deal with that later. For now though –"

For now, I needed to figure out what my next step was going to be. I rummaged through my item list, eventually finding the phone that I'd pickpocketed off the police officer, and I began searching through it. Finding the language corner and changing the device language from Japanese to English was a major bitch, but, thankfully, icons helped with that. The next thing was to contact someone… but rather than waste time making calls, I decided to go straight to social media.

"Okay… something's weird…"

My Facebook account didn't exist.

That… was fucking weird. How the fuck did my Facebook account not exist?

"…Bullshit. The fuck?"

Not just mine, as I searched. My friend's, my sister's, my mom's – hell, _every single person I knew,_ none of their accounts were available. None of them were present. I highly doubted that everyone would choose to delete their Facebook accounts just to pull a fast one on me nor I wasn't egotistical enough to think that they would.

So I hit up Gmail.

My Gmail account did not exist.

Yahoo?

Nothing.

Hell, even my fucking _Hotmail_ account was wiped from existence.

"…This isn't funny anymore."

My Twitter?

Gone.

My Instagram?

Vanished.

"Come on, even my _Quora account?_ Really motherfucker?!"

It wasn't even just _my_ accounts, which, would have been really weird, but _everyone's_. Every single person I knew. Every. Single. Person. Professors, students from high school, old friends, rivals, that one girl who almost gave me a blowjob, that other girl who wanted me to smoke weed, that one guy who threw me into a dumpster cause I made a move on his girl while wasted –

 _Everyone I knew._

I was panting and hyperventilating like an asthmatic who ran the four minute mile, and I realized I was in no state to make any rational decisions. I hastily rose my hand and attempted something on myself –

[ **Calm]**

A tranquil peace overcame me, all at once, my mind was soothed, eased, I could take in a large, deep breath, and I felt as though I just finished a full bowl of ice cream after receiving a blowjob, while high on some great quality Maryjane.

"Ah… much better… Now… let's think."

The possibility that I'd been erased from existence crossed my mind, but it made no sense. If I was erased from existence, why would everyone I knew be gone as well?

I crossed that idea out.

I woke up, in the body of my Skyrim Character, in _Japan,_ and for whatever reason, I did not exist. Also, everyone I knew didn't exist either. So, let's get the facts straight first.

Google Search – Year.

"2018? Okay, that's the same."

Month –

"October?" I rose my eyebrow at that. October. Where I was, it was _March_. So, not only was I in Japan, I arrived in Japan _seven months later_.

 _Seven months? What the hell –_

I rubbed the side of my forehead slowly. None of this was making any sense, then again, I was my _Skyrim Character_ , none of this was _supposed_ to make sense.

I tried to think of a reason. One reason that wasn't completely asinine that would explain everything so far, from me being a Skyrim Character, to waking up in Japan, to suddenly no longer existing, along with, pretty much everyone I've ever known.

 _Where the fuck is the logical connection?!_

Zero. ZERO. There was ZERO connection.

"Fuck it, I'm not dealing with this while sober. **Nord Mead** please."

The bottle appeared in my hand, which I haphazardly uncorked and gulped down. It burned the back of my throat for a while, and made me cough a little bit from the strength. God damn – _this_ was alcohol. Jack Daniels had nothing on this shit. And it was _sweet_ too – instead of being that bitter fucking crap that Budweiser and Guinness shoved down our throats.

"I'm drinking Nord Mead inside a changing room in a store in Japan. Fuck… what has my life become?"

Ah… good fucking point, where in Japan was I anyway? If this was Tokyo or some other bigshot town, maybe I'd catch the sights or something, while contemplating how fucked up my life had become.

I reached for the mobile phone again, this time, opening up Google Maps.

 **Kuoh Town, Nagoya, Japan**

I blinked. I blinked again and stared at the Map, wondering if my eyes were deceiving me. _Kuoh_ did not fucking exist. It was the setting of a wank-worthy anime and light novel with another horribly indecisive harem protagonist, and 'devils' who would be an insult to Lucifer if Lucifer was real.

"You're shitting me."

I immediately typed in what I couldn't believe I was typing into Google Maps of all things.

 _Kuoh Academy._

 _40 Minutes Away._

 _Would you like to get directions?_

"You've got to be _fucking_ kidding me."

I stared at the phone. Stared at the building. Stared at the phone again.

And then I swore.

"MOTHERFUCKER!"


	2. Rising Dragon

**Holy Hell! Look at that reception! You'd think Princess Diana came back from the grave to get married or something. Nearly 500 Follows and Favorites in less than... what? Three days? Dayum.**

 **Also, a _bunch_ of questions and people curious about things. Normally, I'd explain them in story, but some things have got to be answered.**

 **1\. NO MODS. In my seven plus years of playing Skyrim, I only ever used Ordinator and Wildcat Mods. (No texture mods, graphics mods, or anything else) cause I like vanilla (in more ways than one). So, sorry, MODS will not, and will never feature in this tale.**

 **2\. Answering the reviewer morsalino's question "How are you going to address the physical difference in power, speed etc? While your Skyrim character is definitely strong he isn't as strong as Devils or even Kokabiel" The answer is simple: "By Cheating."**

 **I mean come on, you have a Bow that can shoot ARROWS TO THE FUCKING SUN AND RAIN DOWN SOLAR FLARES - am I the only one seeing how fucking bullshit that is?**

 **3\. Answering Amoral Philosopher - Yes, his character level is maxed out (legendary skills away!) he has all the skills and all the perks. No boosts from Standing Stones however, because they don't exist in-universe. And definitely a hoarder, so yeah, infinite carryweight. It'd be no fun otherwise.**

 **4\. Anwering FerunaLutlou, yes, crouching invisibility exploit away!**

 **5\. Answering general inquiries: His powers are the powers of the Skyrim _character_ not the Skyrim _myths/lore_. However, because video-game limitations and/or the lack of an advanced game engine to truly actualize their ideas - I've changed a few things in regards what skills and powers can do. In the game, you could never break down a door, burn down a house, steal someone's underwear, or hurt children - (without mods) but clearly, all those things could be done in real life, (and lore-wise) so expect a lot of what you know about certain spells, shouts, powers and abilities to be... different.**

 **Finally, a lot of the videogame mechanics from Skyrim are in play, but others, (like the aforementioned prevention on door-breaking and arson) are not.**

 **Meh... also... expect some realism, some actual issues, and actual references and facts about Japanese culture because for some weird reason, people tend to forget the 'setting' of crossovers. (I'm looking at you, people who throw Naruto into the Game of Thrones/Harry Potter worlds and have him speak perfect English without explanation.)**

* * *

 **XXXXXX**

* * *

Kuoh.

Motherfucking Kuoh.

Kuoh – aka, the place where the idiot who could not choose which breast to grope was born. Also known as the place where for some fucking brilliant reason, Micheal, Lucifer, and Azazel had come down (or up) from their respective thrones to sit around and talk. Kuoh – the most important location of High School DxD – aka, the anime people watch for the fanservice and ecchi, and then claim to stick around for the plot. Or, more usually, stick around cause of the Shin Megami Tensei vibes.

Loud knocking sounds drew me from my thoughts as I shot my head up, remembering where I was _specifically._

"Anata wa anatadesu ka?"

I was still in a changing room. No doubt I'd have drawn some unnecessary attention with my swearing and cursing, but at this point, I could not care the fuck less. I was too busy trying to think of _why_ I'd woken up in the DxD Universe as my Skyrim Character.

"Fuck off!"

I snarled at the door.

In hindsight, not the wisest thing to say or do, considering, this wasn't my store, this wasn't my changing room, and the person working here probably did not even speak English.

Fuck, there was still the whole language barrier thing I had to worry about. _Graah!_ I had neither the patience nor the will to attempt to learn Japanese, yet, if I didn't, I was never going to get anywhere. Why couldn't there be a 'learn Language' Spell in Skyrim? Then again, I doubted such a spell would have had much use.

Not to mention the problem of being a foreigner in this country. Unlike the majority of idiots and otakus out there who believed Japan was a wonderland filled with fantastic mystery and fun, the reality was _not_ the fucking case. I'd done my fucking homework on this country, which was one of the reasons I'd like to visit as a tourist, but _never_ live here.

Most sane people would slap you across the face if you told them that you had to work so hard and literally die from overworking. But guess what? In Japan, that was expected of _every_ _single_ _fucking_ _person_. Yeah, this country had serious cultural issues that I would not want to be near. Particularly the whole societal restraint shit – there was even a saying in the country, "The nail that sticks out will be hammered down." Might as well have a giant poster with the words "FUCK INDIVIDUALITY!" hovering above the sky.

Some people might think, _but – but - Japanese people are super kind! And super nice! And I heard that one story of the guy who left his iPhone on the floor and came back the next day and still found it there!_

Well that's because of a fucking societal system which _forced_ and _compelled_ you to be that way.

 _Do nothing to disgrace the motherland of Japan!_

 _Keep your problems bottled up and always maintain a mask of niceness!_

 _Your actions reflect on the society and your parents, so when you screw up, you screw up for everyone, and everyone screws you up in turn!_

Public violence or outbursts were so fucking seen as _anathema_ in this country, that people would swallow it all up, and then find other means to pour it all out. _Honor_ was a legit thing which carried down from generation to generation, and you were _expected_ to work your hardest (no matter what), _expected_ to follow the societies rules until you eventually died one hot afternoon from a 72-hour work session, or decided to say 'fuck it' and hanged yourself in the suicide forest.

The 'nicest' country was also a place with one of the highest suicide rates, and its own infamous suicide forest, _Aokigahara_.

Sure it had its _upsides_ , like colorful slice-of-life anime and wonderful romance or bildungsroman/coming-of-age shows depicting the beauty of youth and teenage experience which was good…

Until you thought about it and wondered, "If the Japanese High-School Life is so great… why the fuck are there so many anime about it?" I mean, _why would anyone want to watch and experience things they already have?_

It's like telling an office worker to watch a movie about office workers being office workers – why the fuck would he want to do that?

That's because High-School Anime is to real-life Japanese High Schools as the Marvel Cinematic Universe is to America.

I could almost hear the frantic, denying screeches of a dozen overweight weeaboos.

The knock on the door continued, _politely_ of course, but I was in no mood to deal with it.

"I thought I told you to fuck off!"

The door swung open from the outside, and I came face to face with an 'irate' looking young woman. Her displeasure wasn't clear on her face, and she did, attempt to look somewhat 'kind' or 'polite' but she wasn't fooling me with her body language. The sharpness of her eyes, the coiled stiffness of her shoulders, the center of mass being placed forward and the grounding of both feet on the ground, pointed in a forward motion – all of it gave her away to me easily.

"Anata wa shuppatsu suru hitsuyo ga arimasu."

I rolled my eyes. "Wakarimasen Nihongo."

She could not have seemed more displeased, yet, she retained her 'smile.' "You no understand Japanese? You tourist?"

Thankfully, she could communicate in the barest of broken English. "Hai." I responded.

"Hope you have okane… money. Pay for clothes." She gestured towards my jeans and leather jacket, making me growl in irritation.

I didn't _have_ any cash on me, and I didn't say anything, but, she seemed to have come to the same conclusion.

"Must ask you to take off clothes and leave please."

"I –"

Wait… hadn't I pickpocketed a cop's wallet?

"I have money." I said, pretending to reach into my 'pocket' whilst actually searching in my inventory, before bringing out the cop's wallet, sighing in relief at the small stack of wads inside.

"How much?"

Her eyes seem to shine more appreciatively. "Four thousand yen for jeans. Five thousand yen for jacket. Two and five hundred for shoes. Total eleven thousand five hundred yen."

"What the fuck?!" I said, my eyes going wide. "Eleven thousand just for an outfit? That's highway robbery!"

The woman crossed her arms. "You pay – or you take off clothes."

"You seem to want me to take off my clothes _really_ badly."

She rose her eyebrow, not looking impressed in the slightest. Note to self: innuendo doesn't work if the person doesn't speak the same language you do. That aside, there was no way that the amount she mentioned was inside this measly wallet – and she didn't seem to be the type that listened to any other language except cold hard cash.

"Must ask you to leave. Will call for security."

 _Shit_.

I was about to cast a spell on her and tell her to go fuck off a bit more forcefully –

Until my eyes flickered up above to the security cameras.

 _Motherfucker!_

Security cameras – shit shit shit – one of the few banes of living in the modern age. How had I forgotten about them? I _really_ fucking hoped no cameras had caught me disappearing the clothes –

Ah fuck. I'd entered into the changing rooms with no clothes on me _at all_ , and I'd opened the door and was suddenly wearing clothes that I grabbed…somehow? That was going to be fucking suspicious. Not to mention the fact that the cameras caught me with my **Nightingale Armor** on –

Anything I did would be caught on camera – even _going invisible_ – and that'd probably be one of the fastest ways to scream "SUPERNATURAL OCCURRENCE!" and bring the entire fucking world down on my throat.

I thought hard and I thought fast –

Do whatever I wanted anyway and screw the circumstances? No – I wasn't a fucking idiot.

Do whatever I wanted, and find a way to erase the evidence? This seemed more reasonable… except it'd _still_ bring up some level of scrutiny.

Find a solution?

"Er shit… how bout I barter with you…" I reached into my inventory. Let's see, miscellaneous items… "How bout this? Will this cover it?"

I brought out one **Flawless Diamond** amongst the few dozen I had in my inventory. Thankfully, with the Dawnguard DLC, killing Legendary Dragons dropped these. Additionally, the **Prowler's Profit** ability granted upon completing the Thieves' Guild _No Stone Unturned_ Quest and _finally_ getting all those pesky **Stones of Barenziah** made it so I could find precious gems in pretty much every chest, urn and corpse I looted.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the object, and she looked at me, and turned her gaze back to the **Flawless Diamond** as though it were a foreign object she had never seen in her life. Part of me wanted to tell her 'well fucking take it already bitch' but I settled instead for looking 'amused.'

"It's not fake. And you _can_ have it… if you'd do me a few favors along the line."

"Ah –" the flustered shop owner held the **Flawless Diamond** in her hand, rubbing it smoothly and examining it with a greedy sheen in her eyes. Anyone with half a brain could tell that the Diamond was legit, and was also very _very_ expensive. As in, _several million_ expensive.

In Skyrim, the **Flawless Diamond** was sold for 1000 gold/septims. In a world where the price of assassinating the Emperor was 20,000 and the price of a house (Breezehome) was around 5000 coins… yeah, the **Flawless Diamond** was valuable as fuck. Just five of them could buy you a home. Twenty of them could buy you a mansion or pay for the assassination of an emperor. A hundred of them? That could probably buy you an army and a small country.

So there was no way I was going to give her something that valuable for some _clothes._

"Yeah… by the way…" I said, putting my best predatory grin, and judging by how she jumped back, I could tell that she saw my fangs. "You wouldn't be opposed to some… questionable, deeds now would you?"

"…Nani?"

* * *

 **XXXXX**

* * *

I truly gave very little shits about the inhabitants of this world. Rias, Issei, the whole Occult Research Club and what not – fuck them. They could all go and suck on Sirzechs shriveled balls for all I cared. They were High School students, and I'd long since graduated from High School – I had no reason to even _want_ to interact with them.

I wanted to fly far away from Japan and it's constricting society and take up a relatively peaceful life in some rural neighborhood in Canada, occasionally using my Vampire Powers to enslave some random people and have fun with them every once in a while. The whole DxD Plot and stupidity could go fuck itself.

The major reason I _couldn't_ was because I didn't _exist._ I didn't have a passport, driver's license, or any other means of identification. I didn't have dental records, a medical history, or even as much as a High School Certificate. That meant, travelling was going to be _very_ problematic. _Living_ was going to be very problematic. Hell, even _walking_ _around_ was going to be problematic as fuck, because police officers could randomly demand me to provide identification because I was a foreigner, and there'd likely be CCTV cameras around, meaning I couldn't just _FUS RO DAH_ my way out of the problem.

A simple solution which had crossed my mind, was to use my powers. Mind control a bunch of people, and some other people, and then even more people, until I got myself everything I needed. That would be great… except…

 _Mind control was not fucking subtle._

It was _too_ unsubtle.

The **[Vampire's Servant]** ability was one of the major ways I could turn people into my thralls, and have them do my bidding, but anyone with common sense would realize that something is wrong with the person under my control, because they would start worshipping me like a god, and would have a rather discernable change in character. Japanese people were _very_ shrewd and adept at picking up social clues and other intricate, tiny nuances of communication and interaction. They were adept at observing their fellows and were swift to identify things out of the norm – so a Thrall would stick out like a fucking sore thumb. I might as well be screaming "THERE'S SOMETHING FISHY GOING ON HERE!" at the top of my lungs.

Alternatively, the **[Bend Will]** shout would have been my next best option.

Oh, how nice it would be to walk up to the immigration office, look someone in the face and then scream at them at the top of my voice, some words that seemed completely nonsensical, and then watched as they listened to my orders and followed my instructions without complaint.

As a foreigner, I'd either be kicked out, or locked up the second I opened my mouth to try that.

Even _assuming_ I went with a subtler method, like say, ambushing people in their homes and then using the shout on them and commanding them – I highly doubted that a shout which _bended people's wills_ would make them able to go to work and act _exactly the same_ with no visible difference.

Hell, if I gave them the order 'act normally and don't draw suspicion' I would be creating a paradox, because a lot of human behaviors and patterns are subconscious and uncontrolled. Like a man who unconsciously rubbed his hair when he was nervous, or a girl who didn't realize she always chewed on her pen when flustered – they would be missing those tiny things they did that they didn't even realize they did, and it'd once more, _draw scrutiny._

Unfortunately, none of the possible ways to mind-control someone in Skyrim was possessed even the tiniest measure of subtlety (unless you got really fucking creative). Vampire Thralls were not subtle. Shouting was not subtle. The applications of the [ **Calm]** spell were not subtle either, regardless of the fact that I had **Silent Casting**. Being able to cast spells silently did not mean that she spells were invisible to the naked eye, and spells tended to cast rather noticeable lightshows.

Skyrim was a game and a world that had _stealth_ , but lacked _subtlety_.

For fuck's sakes even the 'stealthy' ways to kill people in that world couldn't work in the modern era.

 _Long-Range Sniping With a Bow and Arrow?_

Are you fucking kidding me? I'd be called the "Archer Killer" in weeks, and leave behind valuable arrows for them to study.

 _Stealth-sneaking behind someone and Sneak Attacking?_

Oh, and let them have my fingerprints (from the body, as you tended to need to hold the head as you slit the throat) as well as have forensic information about me from things like my height (judging from how and the angle I used to slit the throat,), my weapon, (judging from the injury inflicted on the body), my skills and abilities, (entered undetected indicating high stealth, tampered with locks indicating skill in lockpicking/breaking and entering) and a whole plethora of other clues that I couldn't think of.

 _Poisoned weapons/Poison Pick-pocketing?_

Toxicologists would certainly be interested in the chemical compound of the lethal poison which killed Mr A – and once they realized they'd never seen any fucking poison like it before, my 'victim' would become a 'test subject' as people tried to study the new atomic structure of **Troll Fat** and **Giant's Toe**. Not to mention they'd immediately know it was me when next I killed people with my unidentifiable poisons.

 _Ordering mind-controlled minions/followers to kill for you?_

Assuming they didn't botch things up and get caught, or fail, and get killed, or you know, any other fucking problem that usually came from sending minions to do an easy task.

So with all my powers, there was _no_ untraceable, undetectable, completely 'Ghost-level' method of getting what I wanted. The only _quiet-ghost-assassin-level_ way I could get the papers and documentation I needed, was by _not_ using my powers, and instead, using my _resources._

"Ah – Yes, Mr. Seto – this place, is good yes? Bought at very cheap price."

The only problem was, I currently had only _one_ resource. And it was… greedy.

I rubbed my nose. "Sana-san, first, my name is Seth. Not _Seto,_ but Seth. Second… I asked you to help me get a small house. A. Small. _House_."

I gestured to the large open ground floor of the duplex building, which had chairs, a barstool, a large bar, and pretty much everything else you would find… _in a bar_.

"Does this look like a house?"

Sana, the lovely young shop attendant at the place I'd visited, seemed to have some… 'Unruly' connections. In other words, she had family in the Yakuza. I didn't know whether to count it as good luck or bad luck that I'd met her, but she was wise enough to keep her mouth shut and ask very little questions as long as I provided her with cash ala diamond.

"Riving quarters can choose, upstairs or downstairs." She said, waving off my concerns. "Good place, great dearu. You no find deal like this anyweru erse in town. You irregaru immigrant – no identity – foreigner – you veri rucki to even get place like this."

Well fuck you too bitch.

"Prus, huge benefits if you open shop."

I had a very distinct feeling that she was pushing some agenda of hers, which was one of the major reasons she wanted me to buy this building.

"And what exactly do you get out of this, other than a shit ton of money?"

"Me? Money my onri reason Seto-san."

Right… like I was going to believe that for even a second. There was a limit people could go for 'free' or 'illegal' money, especially in _this_ country with one of the lowest crime rates and poverty rates, underreported or not. I sighed, shaking my head. It wasn't like I had any other options at this rate. Unless I wanted to live a hermit's lifestyle, going from hotel to hotel (assuming they'd accept me), and relying on eating takeout day after day. Getting a place of my own was an absolute necessity.

Or I could just kill someone and steal their house?

…

No. Way too unsubtle. People would notice, and people would talk.

"So… you want prace furnished yes?" Sana asked, smiling "Can provide furru furnishing – anything you want – so far as you have more ah… jewerru… to offer yes?"

Damn this woman was greedy.

"Can furnish place – everything in working order! You give me ristu – things want, and I find them and help put them."

I _did_ need the place furnished. Also, I was too fucking lazy to actually go out and do all the shopping by myself.

"Can you read English?"

She twisted her nose into the air. "Can you readu Japanese? No? Then why I learn read your language? Foreigners like you – so arrogant."

She had a point, but damn if she wasn't testing my patience. "Fine… give me a minute, hopefully I can translate all what I need in Google for you."

Sigh… the type of shit I got myself involved in. I needed to find a way to get past this horrible language barrier. I didn't think I could listen to her crude sounding English any longer, especially the way she kept mixing up her 'l' and 'r' sounds. English was not particularly necessary to learn in Japan, it was hardly ever, if _ever_ used in day-to-day communication. The average Japanese man truly had no reason to learn English, in the same way that the average American man had no real reason to learn Japanese.

It took me a few minutes to list everything I needed, from food items, to toiletries and necessities, to some other basic objects I'd need for entertainment. If I was going to be living here for the meanwhile, I might as well have something doing. Actually, scratch that, I _needed_ to have something to do otherwise I'd start angsting as the crippling realization slammed into me and made me realize that I'd never probably see anyone I knew ever again.

Was finding a way home even possible? But if it was, would I _want_ to create such an avenue?

If there was a way to cross dimensions, or _whatever_ – did I really want to create a possible avenue for people of this world to come to _my_ world? What if I brought Gods and Devils to _my_ world? The amount of fucking chaos that would be unleashed…

"Hurri Seto-san." She said, looking at her watch. "I have other praces to be."

I cringed once more at the Japanized version of my name. "It's Seth. Se – oh fuck it. And hold your horses you impatient bitch – it's not like I'm not paying you good _okane_ for this."

Sana crossed her arms. "Shofu no ko. Anata no hahaoya wa meinudearu."

I spun on her. "What the fuck did you just say about my mother?"

She stared at me, her eyebrows raised in surprise. It only clicked a second later that she'd spoken in Japanese – and I'd perfectly understood her. Was it because it was an insult?

"Say something else." I demanded.

She paused for a second, uncertainly. "Anata wa okidesu."

I stared, before shaking my head. I hadn't understood that. I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. "Damn that was fucking weird." I turned my gaze back to her. "Speaking of weird things, how is it that you can understand English without problems, but you can't speak it or read it?"

"Cause of foreigners like you. Having to deal with them – make me need learn to understand stupid language."

I let those words stay in my mind for a while, before truly taking the time to look at the woman. Young, dark hair as common of Asian heritage. Arguably attractive… but because of those damned Asian-woman genes, she could age anywhere from eighteen to thirty. I couldn't get a good enough lock on her actual age, and I highly doubted she'd be willing to tell me. Well, not _willingly_ anyway, but mind-controlling someone just to know their age was a bit stupid.

"Fine. Here's the list – everything you need to get. Money isn't a problem, because I _know_ that Diamond I gave you can cover it."

"What?" she sounded outraged "But – used diamond pay for this place!"

"If you expect me to fucking believe that this place is worth that much, you've got another thing coming."

"It –"

"Sana –" I walked closer to her and it made me realize that I was _tall_. Or at least, much taller than the average Asian. I towered over her in such a way that made it clear the difference between being six-foot-one and being a little under four feet. If I wanted to, I could probably lift her into the air with one hand and very minimal effort.

She seemed to have realized that as well.

And she also realized that she was alone, with a tall unknown stranger of dubious origins, who could probably do a lot of things to her before she got away.

"Don't be _too_ greedy." I said, slowly.

She swallowed uncomfortably, before gritting her teeth and 'politely' nodding. "H-Hai."

I watched her scamper off, hastily walking out of the door of the duplex building, and closing it swiftly behind her. With her gone, I took a deep, tiring breath as I moved towards a barstool and took a seat.

I brought out the stolen cellphone, examining it to check the time.

 **4:31 AM**

Damn.

I probably ought to get rid of it in case the cop I stole it from attempted to track it down or something – but I was feeling too tired to do that right now. I'd woken up in the park around 10pm last night – and the whole process of meeting Sana, bribing her with Diamonds and getting her to get this place to me had taken several hours.

I wanted some goddamned sleep.

I wanted to close my eyes and pretend as though all of this was some incredibly twisted and convoluted dream – but, chances were that wasn't going to fly. This was my reality, however surreal it was now.

… Damn.

" **Sweet Roll**."

The delicious bakery appeared in the palm of my hand, and I took a bite of it, battling back so many emotions.

"So… motherfuckingly… delicious."

Thus ended my first day in a new world, eating some wonderful, tear-stained Sweet Rolls.

* * *

 **XXXX**

* * *

"Seto-san… Seto-san… Seto-san!"

I blinked a bit, trying to shake the sleep off my eyes as I felt someone gently tap me. It wasn't until I heard the sound of the curtains being drawn backwards, that my eyes snapped open from the _hot_ feeling that slammed upon my skin.

"FUCK! THE LIGHT! IT BURNS! FUCK IT! IT FUCKING BURNS!"

I jumped up from my position on the bar, covering my eyelids and using my hand to protect myself from the overwhelming harsh rays of the sun. Shit – it felt as though someone was pointing a magnifying glass at the sun, and directing the superheated rays on my skin.

 **Your Vampire Blood Boils in the Sunlight**

The words appeared in my vision, and the first thing that came to my mind was, 'no fucking shit.'

I'd completely forgotten about that otherwise obvious fact – Vampires _hated_ sunlight –and I was a _Vampire Lord_. Fuck – gahhh – why the fuck had I thought being a Vampire was a good idea? I felt like I was getting major sunburns all over just from being exposed to the sun. I was just glad I didn't _disintegrate_ while under its effects, or that would be the most pathetic way to die. _Ever_.

Sana stood, staring at me oddly, with a face that clearly did not understand what she had done. Oh how I was tempted to smack that oblivious look off her face –

"I… have very sensitive skin." I said in what was probably the most bold-faced half-truth I ever uttered. "I don't like the sun."

"Like… Kyuketsuki?"

I tilted my head. "Nani?"

She blinked, realizing that she spoke in Japanese. "Er… what you call… Vampuayah?"

"Something like that." I answered vaguely.

"Pft. You foreigners – weak blood cause all manner of disease and defects."

If I wasn't sure about Sana being racist before, I certainly was fucking sure of it now. "Right, and I'm sure you Japanese are all perfect." Even if they _did_ have _somewhat_ longer lifespans on average due to their diet. "Let's just fucking get this day over with so I don't have to see your face ever again."

I eventually decided to use the upper floors as my living area – stocking it up with everything I needed. I was something of a minimalist, and the Japanese had minimalistic living mastered to levels that I could not even imagine. So, my 'house' contained just the very bare essentials. A single couch, with two other chairs framing it, a coffee table, and a flatscreen TV I got attached to the wall. That was _it_. I'd probably buy a Playstation or an Xbox later – but for now, I needed only the essentials.

The bedroom had a simple king-sized bed, a work-table and a desk, a lamp, and a PC.

The bathroom had a simple bar of soap, toothpaste, and new toothbrushes.

The kitchen was the only place that wasn't minimalist, as I had a fridge, coffee maker, microwave, loads of shiny new cutlery, pots and pans, and cupboards filled with spices and ingredients, all of which were labelled in Japanese and which would probably screw me over later. The fridge itself was stocked with the basics, eggs, milk, yoghurt, juice, and some beer. Shitty beer. I'd take **Nord Mead** over beer anytime and any day.

The rest of the money went to me paying for internet connection to have my own personal Wi-Fi, 4G, (because this is Japan) and to my pocket. With some of the rest going to Sana for her… 'hard work.'

Of course, I still had a whole lower floor, and a _bar_ which was all mine. I was _tempted_ to open up business (read: Sana kept insisting it was a great idea) although, I enjoyed my privacy, _too_ _much_ privacy would draw more scrutiny than too little.

No one ever suspected the crazy, outgoing party types who womanized, gambled and lived it large to be the ones hiding secrets. In contrast, someone who always kept to themselves, choose not to socialize, was withdrawn and solitary, would bring about a whole lot of speculation and questioning.

So the bar was needed as a cover. Because A: I was an illegal immigrant and didn't want people finding out and B: I was a Vampire, so I needed an excuse to stay indoors all day, preferably in a place with very little lighting that was cool, and _not_ draw too much attention.

Bars in general fit that description.

Several hours with a little bit of work, some re-decorating and redesign, and I'd shaped the place up with a nice dark and comfy 'Medieval-ish' theme, loads and loads of bleaker colors and designs, and covering up all the goddamned windows with the thickest curtains I could find –

And hence, **Dead Man's Drink** was open for business.

"Deado Man's Drink?" Sana asked, staring at the paper, and then back at me.

"It's an inside joke."

Not that anyone would know that **Dead Man's Drink** was the name of the Inn from Falkreath – because I doubted the Skyrim videogame even existed in this world. And it was also a reference to being owned by a Vampire, and because I kind of liked the Undertaker. That aside, I didn't _need_ customers. Having them would be _nice_ , but not particularly necessary. Money was no object to me, so I could afford to sell piss-poor drinks and still not give a damn about it.

"So… you handle the paperwork stuff – certification, the licensing, and what not – and I'll handle the payment."

"Hai hai." She nodded lackadaisically. "So… you wirru need Bartender… yes? Of course – you needu good cover - no one want buy from strange foreigner. Need local touch. "

 _This woman…_ "Let me guess, you have someone 'perfect' in mind for the job."

She tossed her nose into the air. "What you think?"

I sighed, rubbing my face irritably. "Of course you fucking do. All going the extra mile for cash, I'm sure." I shook my head. "Whatever. Bring the person you need in, and I'll see about them."

She harrumphed.

 _Patience Seth… Patience…_

"Now… these _contacts_ of yours," I began, referencing her _Yakuza_ affiliation "How exactly would they go about helping a man in need of an identity?"

Apparently, even with money speeding up the process, getting what I needed was _not_ easy. This was probably because Japan was not particularly high on the 'corrupt countries' scale, and the people in charge were _damn_ good at doing their jobs.

She said she could provide me some _fake_ Identification for the meanwhile, but what I needed was _real_ ones. That is, a legitimate passport, driver's license, and other form of information and identification that wouldn't fall apart under a deeper search if I wanted to truly disappear off the map. Supposedly, it'd take approximately _eight months_ to get it all done.

 _Eight months._

Until I had what I needed – I'd be here for the next _eight months_.

There _was_ a way for me to speed up the process… although, that would mean having to meet with one of the two teenage girls who were 'sisters' of the 'Satans' of this world, and asking them a favor. The problem with _that_ was the fact that _I did not want to have anything to do with them_.

I'd have loved to 'claim' or 'dominate' them – hell, maybe have sex with them or humiliate them and get off on the power fantasy… except, attacking them was the same as attacking Sirzechs and Serafall. While I was delusional enough to believe I could fend off _one_ , of the two Satans, I doubted, even being delusional, that I could fend off _both_ of them.

Walking up to Rias Gremory, pinning her to the floor and using the Thu'um to terrify her into submission before grinning like a motherfucking maniac and shoving my cock down her throat, was a _fantasy._

It would remain – _a fantasy_. Unless, of course, I was looking for an interesting way to die, in which, I _could_ do it, and then flip the middle finger to Sirzechs as he came at me like a vengeful demon straight from the pits of hell and attempted disintegrated me to ash.

Sure, I was the Dovahkiin, but when _Gods_ were literally my opponents – that title didn't carry much weight anymore. I doubted Miraak could fight against Molag Bal, Sheogorath, or maybe Mehrunes Dagon and _win_.

If he couldn't fight God-level beings… who the hell was _I_ to claim that _I_ could fight them?

Or was I selling myself (and the Dovahkiin) short?

I _did_ kill Alduin after all… and he was the "World-Eater" wasn't he?

Fuck if I knew. Power levels scaled differently in different worlds. Better to underestimate the power of the Dragonborn and wisely stay alive, than _overestimate_ it and end up dead.

"So – that all yes?" Sana said huffily, "Now, you give me my payment yes?"

I was drawn out of my musing from Sana's voice, before, I turned to the woman, and hummed.

"Of course… but first…"

She grew visibly irate. "What?"

I took in a deep breath.

" **GOL HAH DOV!** "

I felt something _stir,_ felt the whole world _bend_ , felt it _whine and whimper_ like a starved bitch in the throes of heat. The sensation felt _right_ , felt so _natural_ , as though I was picking up an instrument that I had long since forgotten and allowed the memory of how to play it surface to my mind. Like I was hearing a favorite song from my childhood that I had never truly forgotten.

The force was also a physical wave, as Sana was sent _flying_ until she crashed into the wall, clearly dazed. I knew that shouts, even the non-offensive ones were capable of occasionally staggering enemies – but this – it was as though I'd used Fus Ro Dah rather than the mild-mannered [ **Bend Will]** shout. It made me wonder what the [ **Unrelenting Force]** would actually be capable of.

Still, I felt the effect take place, as Sana stood, shakily to her feet, and there was a trance-like air about her. More accurately… _she looked drunk_.

"Sana."

"Hai?"

First, let's test something. "Respond to all my commands and questions in English."

"I… I will attempt my hardest, Seth-sama."

 _Now_ she finally got my name right. I rubbed my nose and shook my head, staring at the glazed eyed look of the woman in front of me.

"Why did you buy this place when I asked you to get me a house?"

"Because the price for this place is low, and I made profit by buying it for a quarter of what I told you I bought it."

Fucking greedy little –

"Why is the price for this place so low?"

"Because it's cursed."

I blinked at that. "Cursed? Explain."

"Mysterious things happen to people who have bought this place. Within a month to five, the person who owns this place usually dies."

I stared.

 _Motherfucking bitch –_

"And the _bar?_ " I said through slightly gritted teeth. "Why a bar?"

"So that we could continue to make profit off you, until you eventually died. The Bartender I intend to bring will be a pretty young woman who will siphon off most funds and profits and 'fall' in love with you to keep you from suspecting anything. Failing that, she would drain you of as much money as possible, and find out where you got your diamonds."

If I wasn't so fucking pissed, I'd actually be damned impressed.

"Anything _else_ you want to add?"

She nodded drunkenly. "After you die, you would have done the ground work for us of creating an established bar. We will then sell it over and over and over again – making as much profit as we can from it."

I rubbed my temples slowly. "And why, exactly, did you pick me to run this little scam on?"

"Because you are an easy and perfect target – an illegal immigrant with unknown wealth and diamonds. If you die or go missing, no one will care. No one will investigate. And we would have profited massively from you."

…

That was fucking cold and fucking logical all at the same time. Didn't mean it wasn't fucking annoying though.

I smiled 'patiently.' "So… what about getting me an identification? Let me guess, you had no intention of doing that either."

She nodded. "Yes. I hoped you would have died before I was required to provide you with anything."

 _Sweet-motherfucking God –_

Was this _really_ the perky-and-happy High School DxD world I found myself in? Or had I entered some twisted Game of Thrones version? I mean what the fuck –

My luck couldn't be _that_ shitty could it?

Oh wait, yeah it was.

In a world with gods and beings that embodied abstract concept, the universe _could_ actually be out to get me – and it wouldn't be a fucking exaggeration.

I stared at the drunken looking woman, slowly clenching and unclenching my right hand as I contemplated what to do with her. What to do _in general_. Every single instinct of mine wanted me to kill her for this… but the problem was, doing that wouldn't really help. I knew jack shit about running a bar, and although I had college-level knowledge about Japan, I knew jack shit about its _paperwork and politics_ , and it's _unspoken_ little rules and conventions, I didn't even know _how_ I would go about to eventually get me some goddamned measure of identification –

 _But I can figure it out._

It wouldn't be subtle, it would be crude and unrefined, like trying to use a hammer for brain surgery… but I'd make it work on my own fucking terms.

I was the motherfucking _Dragonborn_. The Dovahkiin. This body had worked it's way from a chopping block to becoming the Archmage, worked its way from a nobody to becoming the Leader of an Assassin's Guild _and_ a Thieves' Guild.

Yeah… I – I could do this.

 _I could take on the world on my on fucking terms_.

I turned my attention to 'Sana.' "Thank you Sana-san. You've thought me a very interesting lesson." I said.

 _Fuck_ subtlety. Fuck it to hell –

I'm gonna let the whole fucking country know that there's a person out there _you don't fuck with._

"Now, in exchange… you're going to do me a rather large favor... this _family_ of yours… where can I find them?"

The Yakuza was often themed after the name of dragons and fire.

Let's see how well they stand up to one.


	3. Zero Expectation

**Just want to point out that if you've read my other stories, and are reading this one, there'll be a major difference in this story's protagonist because,**

 **1\. Unlike the others (Gat, Jason, Zack), Seth wasn't** _ **reincarnated**_ **. He didn't** _ **die**_ **and then** _ **wake up**_ **in another world, but, instead, found himself** _ **flung**_ **into another world** _ **in his game character's body**_ **ala _Overlord_ or _How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord_ style.**

 **2\. He's in a world that's** _ **similar enough**_ **to his own, yet, not. Kind of like if someone took you from your house, and then slapped you into** _ **Deadman Wonderland**_ **for shits and giggles.**

 **3\. Conquering or ruling this world is not a fucking feasible goal when Gods with literal God-Complexes, Proven Afterlife (people dead? Nah, chill brah, they just chillin in heaven with mah gee, Micheal.) Nuclear Weapons, and Mutually-Assured-Destruction are in play.**

 **Also, one of the few fucking reasons I hate (and don't respond to) crossover-debaters:**

 **Bitch-With-Opinion 1: The Great Red is super-duper strong! The DxD Verse is way more powerful than anything Skyrim has to offer! Your character is gonna get crushed like a fucking bug!**

 **Bitch-With-Opinion 2: No way! Alduin is the World-Eater! In lore, he's as big as a mountain and he literally eats the world with a fork and stuff! The Dragonborn beat him so the Dragonborn is definitely god-tier World-Level! No one in DxD can touch him! He's gonna rape Ophis with a thermometer and make Sirzechs cry mommy!**

 **Bitch-With-Opinion 3: No! You're both wrong! DxD has tons of supposed feats but no action or showing of those feats! But (insert seemingly unbiased, but totally fucking biased side here) so Courage the Cowardly Dog would win because this nerdy power-ranking site called vs – wiki told me so!**

 **Ugh.**

* * *

 **XXXX**

* * *

"I believe this is the last of them, Kaicho."

Sona Sitri, Student Council President of Kuoh Academy, nodded, standing in the local police station and pursing her lips. Memory and data erasure was always one of the most annoying clean-up jobs people in the supernatural had to deal with, and if it weren't for Beelzebub-sama's invention of a special sentient virus that could wipe, alter and/or retract traces of the supernatural off all forms of recording and software, devils would have long since been exposed with the invention of YouTube and the internet.

Considering the fact that they often held contracts with humans, and once in a while, a human would attempt to 'blackmail' them, threatening to release knowledge about the supernatural to the world if they didn't get what they wanted, it was a good thing that they didn't know how powerful the supernatural influence ran. At best, their 'proof' would be among the hundreds of hundreds of illuminati videos and conspiracy theories on the internet taken with a grain of salt, and at worst, they'd be vanished from the internet the very second they went up.

Speaking of things vanishing, she reviewed the file of one officer Tajiri Shinsuke, her lips pursing even further.

"What are your thoughts, Kaicho?" her Vice President, Tsubaki Shinra asked.

"A claim that his pants, phone, patrol-car keys and wallet were stolen by 'an invisible cosplayer in dark armor'." She quoted. "Considering the man possesses a perfect record of attendance and diligence in his duties, no former records of attempting to lie and/or deceive his superiors for personal gain, and there are numerous eyewitness reports accounting that they saw him 'streaking' down the street, – it is most likely that there is an unknown supernatural element in Kuoh."

It was not every day that a respected policeman suddenly ran down the roads, indecently flashing the public with his genitals. Such a case would normally never draw her interest, but the claims of invisible forces at work had compelled her to investigate, and the fact that the man had nothing to gain and everything to lose with such a stunt. He would have been fired immediately, and disgraced forever.

"A poltergeist perhaps? Or a pranking spirit?"

Sona disagreed. "The report claims that he assumed a 'cosplayer' due to armor. I do not believe any ghost or malevolent spirit clad in armor will strip a man of his pants but not his life." She held the paper closer. "Additional statements indicate his 'thief' is a foreigner who could not speak Japanese. A ghost or spirit would not have attempted communication, and if they had – they would most certainly speak the language."

Her **Queen** nodded understandingly. "I will inform the rest of the student council, and have my familiars search for any foreigners appearing in the city recently." She adjusted her glasses. "Should we inform Rias-sama?"

Sona frowned. "No. Something like this needs not concern her – she is already at wit's end attempting to recruit someone in her peerage to aid her in her Rating Game against Raiser. No need to burden her unnecessarily."

Additionally, and went unsaid, Sona wanted to investigate this unfamiliar element for herself and see if it was something worth her time and investment. Rias may be her friend and rival, but one's best interests were always at heart.

* * *

 **XXXXX**

* * *

"…You're absolutely certain this is the place?"

"Yes Seth-sama. This is where Nakamura Ichijo lives. He is the leader and boss of Kuoh's Yakuza Gang."

It was late in the evening, and I sat inside Sana's car, staring somewhat disbelievingly at what I was seeing in front of me. I had expected to come to some sort of fortress, filled with men wearing headbands and carrying bats and katana, fight my way through those scum and arrive in the central room where I'd meet a fat greasy old man surrounded by strippers and prostitutes. Then, they'd run out of the room screaming and covering their breasts, while he snarled and screamed at me "Who the fuck are you?!" and I'd proceed to let him know that I was the guy he wasn't supposed to fuck with.

Instead, I was sitting inside a car, staring at a rather nice, comfy family home in the finer end of the town, with just about one or two guards dressed lackadaisically in casual outfits. At first, I thought maybe there was some hidden base underground, or some other gimmick that wasn't visible. So, I rose my right hand, willing my mana, and casting [ **Detect Life** ]. The spell made all those who were 'living' come alive to my vision as bright hues, visible through walls and through objects, clear as day.

Yet, there was no hidden underground room, or no one inside. Instead, what I discovered that there were only about six guards in total, and my 'target' was a slightly middle-aged man, sitting in his dining room, and about to have dinner with his wife and two teenage daughters.

I rubbed my nose, turning to Sana who was, so far, still under the effects of my [ **Bend Will** ] shout, her hands on the steering wheel, and her expression no longer 'drunk' but perfectly relaxed.

"I don't get it. This guy… is the Oyabun of Kuoh's Yakuza?"

She nodded. "Yes Seth-sama."

"And… he's just…" I shook my head. "I mean… he's living in a place like this – he has _family_ – just six guards and… why isn't he more…. _Yakuza-ish_."

"Contrary to what outsiders and foreigners think of the Yakuza, it is not entirely like the mafia or even outright necessarily a criminal organization." Sana explained. "The Yakuza are involved in as many legitimate businesses, works and trades as they are involved in the illegitimate. Sometimes, often more so."

I stared. "What?"

"Seth-sama, the Yakuza are regulated and monitored, and the organizations themselves are not illegal. The addresses of most Yakuza headquarters are listed on the National Police Agency website, and the top oyabuns all have business cards with corporate logos. There are even monthly fan magazines dedicated to them."

 _What the fuck…_

"Then… how do you make money?"

"Income is generated through revenue streams like extortion, protection rackets, sex trafficking, pornography, gambling, real estate, construction and sometimes cybercrime. The shop I work in, where I met you Seth-sama, is a perfectly legal business owned by the Yakuza."

…This was not what I expected getting here. This was _not_ what I was expecting at all. Was this what they meant by _organized_ crime _?_ Shouldn't there be a limit to how _organized_ it should be?

"So what about drugs? Guns? Shipments of cocaine? Human trafficking? _Something!"_

"The purchase and distribution of hard drugs are strictly prohibited in code by numerous yakuza gangs across Japan, their code of honor prevents it, and it is not profitable in Japan as drugs are incredibly rejected by the society. As for guns, Japan has far stricter gun control laws that prevent –"

"Stop – just fucking stop." I ordered, growling. "I wanted to take out my anger on _someone_ , and fucking let loose and punch a few dozen guys in the face – but – gahh!"

Of course there was no fucking thing like people who were one hundred percent evil. I mean – it was fucking obvious – but _come_ _on_! I couldn't just barge into a guy's home and beat up his guards and beat him up in front of his family! Like – what the fuck? Where were the villains?

Where the fuck are the people I can punch in the face and be perfectly justified doing so?!

"So your plan to swindle me – who the fuck came up with it?" I asked, leaning back into the car seat.

"I suggested it, and it was accepted and backed up with some assistance from my uncle."

"Your… uncle."

She nodded.

I sighed. "And what exactly _is_ your uncle?"

"He works with the administration division of the Yakuza as an accountant and occasionally, a real estate agent." She responded.

I could feel a massive headache coming on. "Your uncle is a real estate agent… who sold me a cursed building… most probably to get it off his fucking hands, and then eventually planned on making more profit from it via creating a _bar_ and draining me of all my funds."

"Yes, Seth-sama."

…

Yay! Let's go beat up a fucking accountant!

 _GRAAAAH!_

What pissed me off about all of this was how fucking… _mundane_ it all was.

I wasn't dealing with some super evil criminal gang – I wasn't even dealing with a fucking mastermind of any sorts – it was just regular people, doing slightly shady shit in order to try and get money.

Hell, from their perspective, _I_ was the shady one, because I was the illegal immigrant who popped up out of nowhere with an unknown amount of money and ( _stupidly_ ) attempted to buy an outfit with a priceless diamond. No doubt the plant they hired in my bar would have watched me to ensure I wasn't a terrorist or murderer on the run – as it wasn't a far off suspicion.

 _Could I really blame them?_

I mean, really? Hell, when I thought about it, I _did_ look like a poor sucker that'd be easy to con –

I took in a deep breath, before shaking my head and laughing. Gods I got so fucking worked up over this shit for no fucking reason. I'd been ready to tear a new one into the Yakuza, and probably announce my presence to every single fucker in this town… because I was pissed that some people tried to swindle and get rid of me.

Shit, I hoped this 'soul of a dragon' thing was purely metaphysical… dragons were too fucking temperamental and too fucking prideful… and I was already _both_. I didn't need some extra anger issues and extra pride issues on top of the ones I already had.

I ran my hand through my hair and then clasped them in front of my face. So, the yakuza was nothing like I thought. They weren't an evil gang that were out to get me. That was fine. I, on the other hand, was nothing quite like what they thought either. I _still_ needed to get myself the mundane shit –

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

My eyes widened at the sound of fingers rapping slowly against the window of the car. I turned my gaze, finding a man with a black-suit and sunglasses standing outside, gesturing at me to come out of the car. On the other side, another man appeared, gesturing the same thing to Sana.

 _What the hell? Weren't there just six guards?_

"Sana – come down. Quietly."

I clambered out of the car, opening the door enough and ensuring to take my time to come out. My height, six-feet, towered slightly over the sunglasses wearing yakuza, and I resisted the urge to grin.

He barked something in Japanese, and I frowned as I turned to Sana.

"Translate."

"They say that Nakamura-sama wishes to meet with us." Sana said, and I noticed that both of the men looked surprised at her ability to speak English.

"Why?"

"They do not say. But, somehow, Nakamura-sama is interested in you."

"In _me?_ "

…The fuck? How was this fucker interested in me? How did he even _know_ I was here?

The gruff yakuza, despite their outward appearances, were surprisingly courteous. Well, at least, far more fucking courteous than I would have been all things considering. They gestured Sana and I into the compound, and eventually, into the man's home. The insides were a bit modernized, although it had a traditional Japanese feel to it that made me feel like I was watching one of those anime from the Edo era with Nobunaga and the lot. There were a lot of ornamental samurai decorations, a lot of traditional paintings depicting the fight between a samurai warrior and a monstrous deity, and a shit ton of decorations that all screamed _samurai_. I'd been able to detect life, but not see the insides and contents of the building. Especially a building like this, which was giving me all sorts of weird vibes that I could not even begin to explain.

Also – was this place somehow larger on the fucking inside than it looked on the outside, or was that just my fucking imagination?

Yeah… something weird was going on here.

By the time we arrived, I'd somehow gone from being in a modern-looking house to a full traditional one, complete with the sliding doors and plain floors. The yakuza spoke something again to us, and I once more turned my attention on my human google translate.

"They say that Nakamura-sama will meet us now."

"And… where exactly are the chairs? Let me fucking guess – we have to _kneel_ here."

I wasn't too keen on that idea in the fucking slightest.

"Apologies." A voice spoke. "Of course, I mean you no insult. However, I do find that it is far more beneficial to conduct my business in a room devoid of unnecessary distractions."

With short, well-kept hair, dressed not in a suit, but in a robe, a somewhat gangly man entered the room from another door that I had no idea even existed. Yeah, there was _definitely_ some mental fuckery going on here.

"Chairs, for our guests, if you would please." He gestured to two of his men, who nodded eagerly, and then he gave a 'charming' smile. Once they were brought, he gestured again, "Please, take a seat."

I adamantly stood.

"You speak English? No… _they_ don't." I gestured to the Yakuza. "But somehow they understood your commands in English."

The man smiled. "Very astute. But no, I do not speak English. I do not speak anything but Japanese. Yet, I can communicate to the entirety of the world in every language that exists, without flaw or problem. A hyper-polyglot whose skills would be the envy of linguists and translators the world over."

The man seemed to realize something, before he blinked. "Ah, where are my manners? I failed to properly introduce myself. I am Ichijo Nakamura, head of the Nakamura Chain Businesses here in Kuoh. We are a rather small family, hoping of course to expand our little ventures throughout all of Nagoya, and then, to other cities like Tokyo, and Sapporo."

He extended his hand. I didn't take it.

He was still smiling – gah, in that creepy motherfucking 'anime-bad-guy-snob' manner. All he needed was a fucking pair of glasses to condescendingly adjust and it's be complete.

"A legitimate businessman, I'm sure."

He never wiped that damned smile off his face. "But of course. The Nakamura Family has a long-lined ancestry of in this town. Although, my great-great-great-grandfather originally hailed from Kyoto – and back then, our family was more renowned for certain… _mystical_ properties."

The smile on his face seemed to crease at that, and it didn't take me long for everything to suddenly click.

"Although, we have long since been eclipsed in fame and glory by the Himejima Clan, the Nakamura family was once well known for our cleansing rites, protection of shrines and elimination of certain _elements_ best hidden from society."

"You can stop dancing around the fucking bush," I said dryly. "You were exorcists and you know about the supernatural. _I get it_."

He seemed to deflate a bit. "Ah? It seems you are the type of man who goes straight to the point?" His smile then picked up a different quality, "Although, _man_ is a rather subjective term here, is it not?"

I didn't react. Nice try motherfucker. "Yeah, men are fucking all savages and beasts at heart. Insert feminazi quote here, insert Joseph Conrad novel here. Now, is there any fucking reason in particular you wanted to see me?"

Nakamura frowned. "Should I not be the one asking such questions? I was not the one who parked himself in front of a man's home and watched patiently. I contemplated if you were an enemy here to destroy us, but as time passed and you failed to take action – I sought other reasons, and chose a preemptive method of _inviting you into my home_."

"Kind of risky don't you think?" I said smiling. "What if I _did_ want to kill you and your family?"

"Then there would be no defense I could put up regardless," he admitted bluntly. "Quite frankly, you _terrify_ me, stranger-san."

Oh? "Oh? And why is that?"

"Your very presence triggered and _overloaded_ the sensitive magic-detecting alarms overlaid around my home." He said bluntly. "Former exorcist I may be, but I am no fool. I have long since accepted that there are beings in this world far above my power to defeat or evade – and I ate my dinner with the solace that tonight might be my last. Yet… you did not attack. You did not invade and seek to destroy. You merely waited, and so, I believed, it would be wiser to seek conversation."

What the… fuck.

Shit. _Shit_. Magic. Of course. _Of course_.

In Skyrim, you couldn't detect other people's magicka pools unless you wanted to use console commands to find out their stats. Likewise, people could never actually know how much magic _you_ had – enough to kill Daedric Lords and keep on fighting. But… in this world, people could _sense_ power.

People could _sense_ how much raw magical energy I had.

I… hadn't thought of it.

"So," Nakamura spoke, drawing my attention back to him, "May I know what it is that you desire from me? And who your… _escort_ , is?"

His gaze flickered over to Sana, who remained perfectly docile throughout.

"She –" I pointed to her, "Conspired with her uncle, who's an _accountant_ under you – to sell me a cursed home and try and swindle me of as much money as she could. Let's just fucking say I didn't take too kindly to it."

Nakamura hummed, taking a full look over at Sana.

"Hmm… girl, who is your uncle?"

I turned to Sana.

"Answer the question."

"Shiburaki Hanagiya."

Nakamura closed his eyes, contemplating the words, before taking a deep breath. "Very well. I will ensure that Shiburaki-san is excommunicated immediately, and furthermore punished for his offence."

"Excommunicated?"

Nakamura nodded sharply. "There are _rules_ , stranger-san. Shiburaki's attempt to take the initiative, whilst commendable under normal circumstances, is entirely unacceptable in this one. Had you been less… _agreeable_ , his scam may have resulted not only in his death, but mine and that of my family, and overall brought negative harm to the Nakamura family."

…It was fucking weird being this respected. I mean, sure, I got it a lot from people when I blew their minds, and begrudgingly from my college professors when I aced their tests – but I'd never felt this fucking… _respected_ before. The VVIP treatment was fucking cool, and it was all because I was my Skyrim Character and bullshitingly used console commands to give my character insane amounts of magicka. Damn, if only I'd toggled on God Mode before hibernating my pc…

"You may also, of course, take the girl as a form of… _apology_ from me." Nakamura said with a casual smile, as though he was not talking about enslaving away someone. "I will ensure that no one questions her disappearance – or _other_ details should she be found."

…This guy… he just... did he really just…

"…This is seriously not how I pictured all of this going."

"I assume you felt it would end with copious amounts of blood, violence, death and pain?"

I didn't deny it. "Pretty much, yeah."

"Then, I would say, for the benefit of my own health and wellbeing, that I am rather glad it did not go how you anticipated."

I grinned. His eyes _widened_ upon me doing that, and I wondered –

 _Oh, yeah. He just saw my fangs._

"You are – I – I see – I had assumed –" Nakamura stammered.

"You assumed… _what?_ "

"N-nothing. Nothing at all –" he coughed into his hand, and I didn't buy it for a second.

 _He didn't know I was a vampire… but he knew I wasn't human and I'm supernatural… so what the fuck did he assume I was?_

"Now, if there are any other issues, you wish to discuss with us… er, Mr…"

"Seth." I said simply.

He blinked. "Ah… Seth? Quite fitting I suppose." At my stare, he elaborated. "Although many are familiar with the Abrahamic name and identity of Seth as the third son of Adam, many are unaware, that in the Egyptian Mythos, Seth is the god of the desert, storms, disorder, violence and… _foreigners._ "

…

…

I did not know that.

Now was this a coincidence, or proof that fate and destiny were already lubing their cocks and getting ready to fuck me sideways?

Whatever. "Actually, Nakamura, I do have a list of thing that I'll be needing from you."

Nakamura's smile became strained. "Is that so?"

"You will be _suitably_ paid for your work – so no, I'm not lobbying my weight around like a schoolyard bully." I reached into my 'pocket' grabbing a **Flawless Diamond** and raising it into the air.

The last time I pulled a stunt like this, I got into this mess. Let's just fucking hope it doesn't happen again.

"My my…" Nakamura said, staring at the object, "Rest assured… name what it is you want, and we will see to it that it's done."

First, and _obviously_ , the fucking omni-tongue spell or device he was using to speak English. Damn that would make my life so much easier. Well, I hoped it'd also work with reading and writing, otherwise I'd still be screwed in those aspects.

Next, the identification and _passports_. Yes, _plural_. So I'd be a 'citizen' of different countries and be able to fly back and forth without issue. Travelling the world was a 'meh' thing to do, but I didn't mind doing it, especially when I got suitably bored.

Third, a buttload of cash. Dollars and yen. Sales from my other precious minerals and gold rings should be enough to ensure that money was an issue of the past.

And… that was pretty much it. I didn't need much else from this guy or his strangely not-so-criminal organization. It'd crossed my mind once or twice to attempt simply sneaking my way into an airport and then sneaking into the cargo of an airplane to leave the country, but that was way too much fucking stress to go through when I could simply just get some ID and then fly first class. I was fucking lazy, sue me.

"What you require will take some time, Seth-san."

I narrowed my eyes at him. This shit again?

"How long?"

"A few weeks give or take." Nakamura admitted. "But no longer. At the very latest, you should have all that you need by the middle of November. Just in time for the holiday season."

Nakamura didn't _seem_ to have anyreasons for lying. But with the way the world fucking worked… who knew?

I was tempted to use **[Bend Will]** on him in order to ensure his full co-operation… although, I felt that would be more of a hindrance than a benefit. I couldn't go around commanding every single person to be under my will simply because I didn't trust that they did not have ulterior motives in their dealings with me. I wasn't that much of a control freak, nor was I that fucking paranoid.

"Of course, Seth-san, while you are still within Japan, and particularly, Kuoh, would it be possible for us to… aid each other?"

This time, I did take a seat. I leaned in slightly.

"In what way?"

Nakamura beamed. I swear, this was the strangest oyabun I've ever fucking met. Then again, he was the _only_ oyabun I'd ever met.

"As it happens, Kuoh Town is no longer quite as… _autonomous_ as it used to be." Nakamura said with what sounded like irritation in his voice. "There is no other way of putting this… there are devils in charge of this town. My research indicates that these devils are rather prominent in the underworld, being the heiresses of two of the 72 Pillar Clans. I cannot even begin to fathom why these individuals would want to come to this Town in the first place, when they have the whole world at their fingertips… but, their presence here is problematic."

… And I was getting pulled into the fucking plot, wasn't I?

I sighed, resisting the urge to palm my face. "I take it you want them gone."

Nakamura nodded. "Yes… but not for the reasons you may be thinking," he elaborated. "Devils of such power and notoriety gathered in such a small area is a recipe for a catastrophic disaster. I predict that individuals far and wide will come to this little town, either in an attempt to challenge the devils, or in reaction to a calamity or problem originating from their presence."

I rose an eyebrow, gesturing him to continue.

"Assassins, seeking to kill the heiresses and restart the faction war. Fanatical exorcists, wanting to eliminate them regardless of the danger and ramifications. Rival factions, stirring up in response –" Nakamura frowned "Already, we have reports of sightings of Fallen Angels in the Town. They and a small gathered force of at least two dozen rogue exorcists have taken up residence in the abandoned church."

 _Fallen Angels? Two Dozen Rogue Exorcists?_ _Abandoned Church?_

Wait a fucking minute. The only time the entire DxD verse did a section on Fallen Angels and rogue exorcists was…

 _At the start of the series._

… _Did this mean… I arrived before the fucking canon events?!_

 _But how…? Didn't canon start in like 2010 or something… at least the fucking High School DxD Anime did._

"These individuals," Nakamura continued, "are already damaging to Kuoh, and to _my_ businesses."

Nakamura actually looked… _pissed._

"They take from stores whatever they wish without paying, and likewise do the same for services and a few of my brothels. Fallen Angels are known for their promiscuity – and one of them spent an entire day with every single 'girl' in my employ, only to wipe their memories of the events and leave without paying." He growled. "Another Fallen, female, got a full body massage and complete spa treatment, going as far as to take every single beauty product available… all without paying for a single thing, and wiping the memories of everyone present."

That was just a dick move. I pursed my lips. "How'd you find out?"

"Because we take _inventory_ , and we have _records of sales_ and _hidden cameras_ which help us." Nakamura explained. "This is not even to begin mentioning the subtle increase in night-time crime and violence, as some of these rogue exorcists harass people, mug some, and attempt to force themselves on others. The 'Devils' are either willfully oblivious or they are aware, and refuse to take clear, adamant action – leaving the clean-up to _me_."

…Well, damn.

I'd never actually fucking thought about it before. In the anime, Raynare and her little group had a bunch of mooks in the Church where she killed Asia. Mooks who were fought off by Kiba and Koneko if I remembered this shit correctly. But of course, who the hell pays attention to mooks? I was more focused on seeing more boobs and trying not to cringe at the demonization of Raynare into the irredeemable bad guy whilst Issei literally cried to God to save Asia's life.

But henchmen – well, henchmen were people.

Fucking sound the alarms everyone – we've broken the fucking world, hashtag, _henchmen are people too_.

Henchmen _were_ people, and they'd need basic shit to live and survive. Food, water, shelter – and then they'd cross the hierarchy of needs and start getting shit they _wanted_ – women, alcohol, money –

I doubted Raynare gave them spare cash to burn out of her own pocket. Hell, I doubted Raynare even had a _need_ for cash – most likely she stole or took whatever the fuck she wanted without bother. Why the hell would her henchmen be any different?

The economic and societal impact of having a group of henchmen would probably never make the highlight in certain books, yet alone an ecchi-anime with pastel plain black-and-white morality and characters. Now that I thought about it… unless it was a war-based novel, where they'd complain about troops needing 'food and resources' – people rarely ever mentioned how Hollywood villains paid their henchmen. _If_ they paid their henchmen. I'm fucking guessing there was no health plan in their contracts, and they were expected to work the holidays.

"…So, what is it exactly that you want me to do for you?"

Nakamura smiled. "If you would not mind… 'thinning the herd' a bit. The Devils are unfortunately a problem that I do not have the immediate solution to – but one that I feel must certainly be handled, before someone is publicly killed in the middle of a park or the entire town is obliterated by a vengeful angel in one strike."

… Was this guy psychic or something?

Considering Kokabiel had come _very close_ to actually doing that – yeah… Nakamura's fears weren't exactly unfounded.

"Thinning the herd?"

"The riffraff. The rogue exorcists. I cannot judge the strength of the Fallen, so it would be unwise of me to request you to destroy them. But – rogue exorcists are mere men. I would have had my _own_ men do this… alas, I feel that would have brought upon me the full might of the Fallen Angels… and it would lead to an unfortunate demise."

"Yeah… that I get." I shook my head. "But I don't see any reason for me to do this. I'm already paying you a large sum for everything. What exactly do I gain from 'thinning the herd' as you put it?"

"Then I simple refuse your diamond and request this as payment instead." Nakamura insisted. "The diamond, while valuable, cannot cover a continual loss of income and revenue generated by these miscreants. Their elimination is worth far more."

…I had to fucking ask, didn't I?

 _Gah!_ I _really_ didn't want to get involved in this fucking plot…

But now, it wasn't like I had much of a choice. Unless I wanted to bend Nakamura to my will… which… wasn't really that viable. I'd essentially be doing to him what the Fallen Angels and exorcists did to his businesses. Kind of a dick move to force someone to help you just because you didn't want to help them.

On the _upside_ , these henchmen would actually be fucking perfect to use as guinea pigs for my experiments. To test the full breadth of my powers and abilities – and it'd also be a way better way to kill some time…

"Well, Seth-san?"

I looked into Nakamura's expected eyes, before groaning.

"I'll do it… as long as I get VVIP treatment in all your brothels, bars and businesses."

"Done." Nakamura said without hesitation. "You have no idea as to how much of a difference this will make to me, Seth-san."

… Oh, I had a fucking huge idea.

I had a fucking huge idea as to how much it'd make to the 'plot'.

But, I'd be out of Japan by next month… so, it shouldn't fucking matter to me.

Right… yeah. It wouldn't matter to me.

* * *

 **XXXX**

* * *

I found myself back in Sana's car, fiddling the tiny ring in my hand that would aid me in speaking and understanding Japanese (and any language in the world) without having to learn it first. Part of me wondered if I could disenchant it and use the enchantments on something else. Of course, this would mean I'd have to create an **Arcane Enchanter…**

"Where would you like to go Seth-sama?"

I turned my attention to the woman beside me who was now 'mine'.

"Back to the **Dead Man's Drink**. Need to make some preparations before I head for the abandoned church."

"As you command Seth-sama."

She started up the engine, making me stare back at Nakamura's house, as the vehicle moved and the house left my view. A lot of things had occurred, none of which I'd ever actually predicted. I came with the intention of burning and destroying, and left finding solutions to my problems. Heh – guess life was kinda weird like that.

Speaking of weird things, I turned my attention to Sana, and then, to my hands, frowning at myself. It was strange… shouldn't I feel more… _appalled_ at the fact that Nakamura basically just let me keep Sana as my slave, and even _expected_ me to fuck her and discard her later on? Why the fucking hell wasn't I even bothered by the fact that I was effectively asked to go kill a bunch of people? I'd certainly never killed anyone before – so it was fucking weird that I even accepted such a deal.

Was it because I lacked humanity?

Humans, as much as they fucking hated to admit it, or were fucking ignorant about it, were controlled by a bunch of hormones and chemical reactions. Every impulse, every stray thought, every need and desire – chemical and biological processes controlled them. Kind of like how 'love' could be broken down into its base chemical forms.

As a Vampire though, there was no guarantee that my biology was even human anymore. My biological processes were different, and so, my hormones and chemicals were different. Males and females were different because of testosterone and estrogen – giving rise to different fucking perspectives and even entirely different thought processes arising from the effects. Was it possible that there was some 'vampire hormone' that kept my sanity in check and made me shrug at the thought of murder, slavery, and rape? Or was there some other fucking reason I was missing here?

I watched the people go by on the streets, the night-life of the city being unsurprisingly sparse in comparison to major cities I knew. The car's AC was nice and cool, and a small part of me wondered how blood would taste – a random, stray thought, which also came with the momentary consideration of humans as value meals.

Fucking strange.

I turned my attention to my 'slave' because that was pretty much what she was at this point. I wasn't bothered by the ethics or morality of it, but more or less the… _strangeness?_ Like… it was fucking weird. Would no one really miss her if she just vanished?

"Do you have any family Sana?" I asked.

"My uncle –"

"Aside from your uncle." I clarified.

"I have a younger brother in high school."

I blinked. Huh.

"What? No parents?"

"They died when I was little, Seth-sama."

Oof. Tough.

"Your brother… what's he like?"

"I… I don't know. Not anymore."

I leaned back into the recliner, raising my eyebrow at her. "How don't you know?"

"He lives with his foster family in Tokyo. I haven't seen him since I was twelve."

Oof. Double tough. I sighed.

"That's tough. How old are you now?"

"Twenty-five."

I grimaced. "Sheesh. Thirteen years? You haven't seen him in thirteen years? Man that must suck."

She didn't say anything, although, she did look like she agreed.

"And… you, Seth-sama? Do you have any family?"

I blinked at the question. Wait… people under [ **Bend Will]** could still ask questions? Or did this mean that the shout's effects were ending? Or… well, you _could_ still converse with your 'followers' in Skyrim even after you used the shout on them, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.

Sana's gaze was locked on me, and I realize she actually wanted an answer.

 _Family huh…_

"I have a younger sister – Hayley." I admitted. "She was getting close to graduating High School before I left," I said, "And a best friend Marcus – he's the closest thing to a brother I have. Great guy – swell friend – he's one of the few people that would stop me from punching fucking irritating people in the face whenever I get pissed."

The car came to a stop at a red light, and I frowned.

"You know, I just kind of realized I'm probably never going to see Hayley again – never see her graduation. And Marcus? Well, I was writing his thesis for him – he'd probably wonder what happened to his pal that suddenly disappeared."

I scratched my head awkwardly.

"Marcus was like me, you see – we were the type of guys who couldn't let shit die. Heh – if he was here instead of me – he'd probably have killed you the second he found out about trying to swindle him. My sister, Hayley on the other hand, would have killed me if I killed you. She'd always been the humanitarian one – pushing me to be nicer and to 'stop swearing like a fucking retard all the time.'"

I could almost see her brown hair and fiery green eyes.

"She had real fire in her – but she was still my younger sibling, the one I protected from douchebags and fuck-boys looking for a quick lay. Marcus would roll his eyes and tell me that I was too much into the 'big-brother' roll. My mom would disagree. She liked it when I was 'a man'. She liked it when I protected my sister. Because my dad wasn't around to do any of that shit."

I laughed a bit.

"Right now… I don't have any of that."

Marcus – the guy I'd call up at 3AM to tell him how I killed everyone in Skyrim – someone who'd listen to my shit and then tell me it was shit to my face, but laugh or shake his head while doing it. A great wingman – the guy in my corner –

I didn't have that anymore.

"I'm probably never get to see him again. Never get to fist-bump him, try to pick-up girls with him, snort at his horrible jokes and laugh till my lungs turned blue at his crappy schoolwork." I mused. "Never get to rustle my sister's hair, watch her dance performances and intimidate the poor fuckers she chose as a date for prom. None of it. Right now, I wonder if Marcus eventually completed his thesis without me. If my sister would go back into her shell with my disappearance. If my mom would pick up smoking again to cope at another male family member vanishing into the fucking wind."

I turned my attention to the woman under my control.

"But I have super-powers though… and that's fucking great… I guess?"

I said, staring at her eyes and smiling.

"I mean, who needs friends and family when you have minions and dragon shouts, right?"

She didn't respond.

…

For some reason, it… _irked._

"Hey, I asked you a fucking question Sana. Didn't you fucking hear me?"

"I – I don't know what a dragon shout is, Seth-sama. I – I – don't understand –"

Oh. Yeah… that. People in this world wouldn't get my references… would they?

"Of course you don't. Of course… of course… never mind then."

Ha. Ha.

I rubbed my eyes.

 _Fuck._

 **[Calm]**

"Hey, Sana – are you a virgin?" I asked, staring out through the window.

"No, Seth-sama."

I blinked. "Whoa? Really? I thought Asian women would be the ones focused on sexual purity before marriage and all that."

"I didn't have parents to instill that into me, Seth-sama."

"Playing the orphan card… oof. That's a low blow Sana."

"I aim to please, Seth-sama."

… Something clicked in my mind. I whipped my head over to her, focusing on the dull black hair and emotionless appearance, even as she drove us to our destination.

"Sana… say the words: I am sworn to carry your burdens."

"…I am… sworn to carry your burdens?"

I gasped, dramatically, of fucking course. That impression was _dead_ on –

"Sana… _You – you're my Lydia!_ "

"…What?"


	4. The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of

**Slightly longer chapter. I think I'll get back to SoG and DC-Remastered after this. Not to mention Deicide. Sheesh - I read the end of Fairy Tail _after_ starting that story and was so fucking irritated at what I saw, I lost the vibe to even _look_ at it. But, I suppose that's why fan fics exist - to change the shit we don't like, and expand on the ones we do.**

 **Also, because High School DxD is an ecchi anime - this fic will obviously have strong and recurrent sexual and mature themes. Outright lemons are possible, and limes are guaranteed. All warnings from the prologue still apply, by the way.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 **XXXX**

* * *

 **Kuoh**

 **Dead Man's Drink**

 **Lower Floor/Basement/Dungeon**

"Are you ready, Lydia?"

"…I am at your every command, Seth-sama."

"Any questions?"

"…Is there any particular reason as to why I am tied up?"

"Just as a precaution."

"…And as to why I am naked?"

"….Also as a precaution. A very, necessary, precaution."

As it happened, I discovered that the **[Bend Will]** shout lasted for a full thirty hours before it wore off. Once it had worn of, Sana, aka Lydia 2.0, had reverted to speaking Japanese, and she had been completely confused, and had no recollection or memory of what had happened whilst she was under its effects.

Her bitching had been unfortunately too annoying to handle, so I shouted her again. Surprisingly, while being brought back under its effects, she remembered everything we did together. It was a fucking weird moment, but it had also brought out within me, a desire to actually experiment on a few of my powers before I went mook hunting.

Sana, of course, was my questionably willing test subject. I stared curiously at the relaxed woman who was tied up with bedsheets to the walls in the basement of the so-called 'cursed' building (I'd need to look into that). She was naked, because… okay, she was naked for no other reason except the fact that I was a horny bastard, and it felt fitting. She was surprisingly thinner than I thought underneath her clothes, and whilst she was not well-endowed, her breasts were surprisingly full enough and did not sag. Her stomach was unexpectedly toned, as where her legs and thighs. Also, black hair was her 'natural' hair color.

I got myself a large notebook, one which I decided to use as my **Journal** , and then I scribbled down the effects of [ **Bend Will]** , the duration, and left space for any other information.

"So, how do you feel Lydia?"

She gave me a dull look, shrugging how best she could. "Cold. This place has a bit of a draft."

"Yeah it does…" I added, before shrugging. "Anyway – I'm about to test some stuff on you – so be prepared."

"Yes, Seth-sama."

I frowned. "What was that?"

"…Yes, my Thane."

I grinned. "Far better."

I cast the **[Calm]** spell from my left hand, watching as the blue bolt of light streaked forward and struck her. There was not much of a difference except for attaining a slightly 'glazed' look in her eyes that was not unlike someone who had taken psychedelic drugs.

I waited for a few seconds to see if anything would change. Nothing did.

"So… how do you feel now?"

"…tranquil… Seth-sama… like… I'm… at peace…"

I brought up my notebook and jotted down.

 _[Calm] works on target, normal human, and makes them high._

 _Major weakness: it requires time from when cast to when it hits its target. Hence, people who are fast enough can dodge it if they know its coming. Can external stimulus affect the effect of the spell?_

I walked up to the chained woman, before, as lightly as I could, slapped her across the face. Her eyes widened, and the haze over her eyes vanished.

"Ow."

 _[Calm] can be broken by external stimuli._

I suppose it made sense. Although, I wondered if it could be resisted by people with magic resistance? I also had a theory that the spell would not work on someone with a significant or overwhelming amount of negative emotions. Such as, for instance, someone in despair or complete dismay.

Still, I moved on.

"Next test."

I channeled the energy I felt boiling through me, before casting **[Fear]**. The dark-red beam streaked from my hand and connected with her.

"RAAH! STOP! STOP! PLEASE! STOP! MAKE IT STOP!"

She thrashed around in her restraints, _trying_ her damned hardest to escape with a look of _manic terror_ in her eyes that was frankly, _disturbing_ and _exhilarating_ at the same time. She slammed against her restraints, trying to _bite through them_ , before slammed her head against the wall again and again and looked about ready to viciously snap her neck if need be.

I shot a hasty **[Calm]** at her, and watched as she froze up, stopping her manic thrashing, and peacefully relaxing.

"Wow… huh. That was… something."

 _[Fear] is extremely effective, enough to cause the person to behave in a manic manner and attempt grievous self-harm and injury. Not certain if the person would flee, because test subject was bound._

In Skyrim, all you did was run and hide… here, well – you were fucking terrified out of your wits.

"Lydia… what did you see?"

"…My… my worst… fears… magnified… I felt… terror… a horrifying… sense of terror…"

Well… that was fucking interesting to know.

 _[Fear] doesn't merely make the target scared shitless, it shows them their worst fears, magnified._

Considering **[Fear]** was not the strongest version of that spell I had, I was _sorely_ tempted to see if I could do more damage if I **dual** - **cast** the spell, or if I cast the much more powerful **[Rout]** and **[Hysteria** ].

Could I make someone's heart stop just by using an **Illusion** spell?

That would be fucking awesome.

"Next… Frenzy? No… probably save that for later. Courage? Pft. No. Test that later on… let's see…"

I charged the spell I had in mind, before launching it _forward_. This would be the first test… the first test to see how far I could push the boundaries. That spell was one that could only be cast on oneself, but… could it work?

[ **Muffle]**

It hit Sana. Suddenly, I could not hear her anymore.

"Scream as loudly as you can, and keep screaming until you can't."

She screamed.

No sound escaped her lips.

"Fucking… awesome."

The [ **Muffle]** spell was a spell which was often redundant to anyone with a truly high **Sneak** skill or was also a vampire and could enchant muffled gear. Now, it actually had a practical use. The **Dark Brotherhood** and **Thieves' Guild** would have sold their left arms and their mother's left arms to attain a spell such as this.

I quickly jotted down my findings into my notebook, satisfied with my work, whilst watching Sana at the corner of my eye and seeing her repeatedly attempt to scream out, but failing each and every time.

I made sure to watch, partially out of amusement, and partially to know just how long the effects lasted before it stopped working.

A minute passed.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

Fifteen minutes.

Pushing on to thirty – and Sana gave up on screaming.

Forty-five and she was speaking, but no words were escaping her throat.

At fifty five minutes she'd stopped speaking and settled on a blank, vacant expression –

And on the sixtieth minute mark, I could hear the sound of her breathing again.

"Speak."

"Hr – " her voice came out hoarse and cracked, but it came out nonetheless.

I immediately moved to my journal.

 _[Muffle] can be used on targets, and lasts an average of one hour. Presumably, with a_ _ **Potion of Fortify Illusion**_ _I can make the effects last far longer. Possibly, I can use the spell on everyday objects or other non-organic things._

The possibilities of the [ **Muffle]** enchantment were endless... a gun that was absolutely, _genuinely_ silent. A rocket launcher or bomb that could detonate without noise… a blade that enabled you to stab people without making the tiniest of sounds. On and on and on –

Next… what spell should I attempt next? I had used nearly every spell of the **Illusion** class, and I was not about to attempt using **Destruction** spells inside my own house. Not unless I enchanted the walls and entire place first.

From the **Alteration** school then.

[ **Paralysis** ]

The spell struck, and I watched as she seized up and became motionless, falling as much as her restraints would allow.

…

I was immediately hit with the realization that this spell was _dangerous_. Her face was frozen, unmoving, even her eyes, it looked as though she couldn't even move her _eyeballs_.

She couldn't move her _eyes_.

Sweet mother-of-god.

Yet, I could move her easily enough. I pointed my finger close to her eye – close enough that would have normally triggered the instinctive response to blink in order to avoid being blinded… and nothing happened.

I used my nails, scratching a long, bloody line on her cheeks – and _still_ nothing happened. No movement. No reaction.

I even tried tickling her armpits – and _still_ no reaction. Not even _involuntary_ reactions. She was like a vegetable. Inwardly, everything was working, because she was still breathing and her heart was definitely still pumping blood, but outwardly… nothing.

 _Imagine if the spell stopped her heart and her lungs as well –_

It hadn't. But if it _could –_

I rapidly jotted down my observations, all the while realizing the deadly combo of what [ **Paralysis]** could do if used in combination with [ **Muffle** ]. Essentially, she was there, all there, yet, she couldn't move, she was unable to control anything, do anything, say anything, but she was fully conscious and aware of everything that was happening to her.

She could feel every sensation, but couldn't _react_ to it.

A prisoner in her own body, unable to as much as cry out in sorrow or rage, as outward forces did with her as they pleased.

It was fucking deliciously morbid.

It gave _me_ shivers and made me wonder why [ **Paralysis]** not the spell of choice for every sadist in Tamriel? The answer, I assumed, was **Magic Resistance**. Many people could shrug off or were immune to the effects. But there were _several_ people who _couldn't_ …

I disregarded the thoughts, and instead continued my mental countdown to see how long the spell would last. In the game, it lasted ten seconds. Here on the other hand…

 _Ten minutes_.

After ten minutes, Sana seemed to regain control of her body, and she opened her mouth –

"C-c-can you please, not… use that again… Seth-sama…"

There was a blank, void expression on her face on her normally expressionless face. Lifeless – _tortured_ – she looked as though she'd buried herself in the deepest, darkest pits of hell and then woke up from it. She was trapped in her own body for _ten minutes_ , unable to do as much as _blink_ all the while…

People who often experienced sleep paralysis could tell you first-hand as to how terrifying it was, to feel a sense of danger and then have your body, your _own_ body betray you, being immobile and motionless, unable to do anything but stare at your incoming demise –

I imagined being hit with the [ **Paralysis** ] spell was like that, only, a hundred times worse because you were awake and fully conscious.

"You could feel, see and hear _everything_ that was happening?"

She nodded in the affirmative. "Y-yes, Seth-sama."

"But you couldn't move, respond or do anything?"

"Y-yes, S-Seth-sama."

 _Damn… talk about fucking horrifying._

A grin came upon my face.

 _Can I target specific body parts? Focus my spells on one area, kind of like the VATS and limb system in Fallout?_

"Let's see… test two. [ **Paralysis].** "

I aimed for her left leg, _focusing_ on nothing but her left leg and –

"S-Seth-sama? I can't move my legs…"

 _Success!_

I blinked. "Wait, _legs?_ Plural?"

She nodded. "I can't move either of them."

Ugh… not quite what I was hoping for, but it was progress. You certainly could not target individual body parts in the Skyrim game, and all spells dealt overall general damage. I moved closer to her, roughly grasping her thigh.

"You can feel this?"

She nodded in the affirmative. "Yes, Seth-sama."

I rubbed my chin. "Interesting… interesting…"

I clapped my hands. "Alright, I think that's enough experimentation for today. No point in overdoing it. I'll have to test out the more dangerous ones on the goons…"

I untied her from the wall, lifting her over my shoulder effortlessly, which actually made me realize the sheer amount of raw physical strength I possessed.

"Ah… where are we going, Seth-sama?"

"I'm going hunting. You, on the other hand, are going to stay here and cook some dinner."

"…As you command, Seth-sama." She responded. "Once I can move my legs again, I will begin dinner in earnest. What would you like to eat?"

I shrugged. "Surprise me."

* * *

 **XXXX**

* * *

I locked the door of my home and bar, taking a long, deep breath of the chilled night air and finding myself loving it. As a Vampire, there was just something absolutely glorious about being out and about in the night. It was like a _buzz_ , as though I'd drank sixteen cups of coffee and Red Bull back-to-back without stop. The fact that I could see perfectly in the dark and the cool temperature went well with my skin was just an added bonus. But – it was time for me to begin my little hunt in earnest.

I walked, my hands in my pockets, and I realized that I was a somewhat noticeable figure, regardless of how I actually tried by best to be inconspicuous. Being six-feet tall was both a blessing and a curse, because as I realized, I towered over the general population by a rather significant margin. Some people gave me odd and wary looks as I walked past, whilst others tried, rather unsubtly, to change directions when they saw me coming. I assumed they felt that I was intimidating in one way or another, which, frankly, was pretty fine with me.

As I walked, I thought about thinking of ways to get a form of Teleportation which would make walking to places obsolete. In Skyrim, I couldn't think of a moment where a character ever used any form or sort of teleportation magic – although, portals to different realms _did_ exist. Portal creation was a bit far off from me at the moment, although, with enough time, I should probably be able to figure out a way to use it.

I _could_ fly – but that was only in my Vampire Lord form. Ditto for turning into a flock of bats – none of which were abilities I could use without first turning into a large gray monster. Although, I saw no reason as to _why_ I shouldn't be able to use these powers without transforming first. It was something I'd have to work on. If my **Vampire's Sight** was constantly active, and I could use **[Muffle]** on people then everything I believed I knew about the limitations of spells, powers or abilities could be entirely wrong.

With **[Clairvoyance** ] being constantly cast in my pocket, I envisioned my destination in my head, and I walked at a relatively normal pace there. I made sure to keep my eyes peeled on the roads for any law-enforcement officials, but strangely enough, they seemed rather sparse in Kuoh.

Considering that this was a town where a teenage boy could be fucking butchered in a park without anyone knowing – I had a feeling the police in this town were not all that competent. That would work just great for me.

Speaking of things working great… there was something I wanted to test out, something I wanted to know – something which I would be insane to test in public, and out on the road, but at the same time, I felt it was the best place to try it out. Thankfully, the **Silent Casting** perk also applied to **Shouts**.

" **TIID –** "

Reality _wailed_ , and around me, people's movements slowed.

" **KLO –** "

Everything else began to _crawl_ to a standstill, motion began to retard itself, cars that were speeding were barely moving.

" **UL!** "

At the final word, there was silence. Rather than the world around be being tinted blue or some nonsense, everything and everyone was quiet – inaudible – as even the transfer of sound had slowed down along with the very concept of time itself. The world and everyone in it was _immensely_ slow – and I could feel that even the air around me had gone still. There was no wind, there was no sound, and there was just _stillness_.

The people around me were moving, but they might as well not have been. If I were not looking at them and did not see the miniscule aspects of motion, I would have been unaware that they were even moving at all.

At all three words of the [ **Slow Time** ] shout, time was slowed down by _90%._ Put another brilliant way, I was a measly _10%_ away from actually _stopping tim_ e.

Skyrim had been running on a rather (arguably) outdated game engine, so they could not properly capture what it meant to slow down time by _90%_. A game like _Dishonored_ on the other hand, had captured the effects brilliantly – and right now, it reminded me of that effect. Except, the clarity of the world around me, and the nigh stillness of it all –

I walked down the streets, taking care to avoid bumping into anyone as I observed the time-slowed world like a kid in a candy-store. I would be nothing more than an ultra-fast blur in their perspective, as I walked past a young couple, and their eyes were not even able to follow me, instead, inching ever so slowly, but never actually being able to lock on to me.

I grinned, before shaking my head and resisting the urge to laugh and scream out:

 _ZA WARULDO!_

But did I grope a bunch of women in my way?

Hell-fucking-yes.

It took about seven minutes for the effects to end, by which, many unsuspecting women gave surprised, girlish shrieks. I was too far away by then, and was far above suspicion, so I ignored all of it and focused on my destination.

This night was definitely looking up.

* * *

 **XXXX**

* * *

 **Abandoned Church**

 **Kuoh,**

 **9:58 PM**

This night was not going to be like any other night she knew.

She sat in a luxurious bath, scented with lavenders and roses, soaps and all sorts of fragments which the humans had concocted. The finest of exquisiteness that could only be attained by those with lavish amounts of wealth to spend on such trivialities. Of course, she had not acquired them herself, rather, Mittelt had been the one to pilfer the objects. Although, being Fallen Angels, they were granted a beauty and allure that would never fade nor age, an appearance that would forever tempt and seduce men. They were the unsung succubae of the world – and Raynare loved every inch of it.

If she were to 'observe' the Hyoudou boy on Azazel-sama's orders, there was no way she was going to do so without living to the fullest comfort. Truly, she had already commenced her plan to eliminate the fool – and he believed her to be his 'girlfriend.' Come Sunday, she would exterminate the foolish pest in the evening, as befitting the alias she gave him.

The very thought of seeing the anguish in his eyes as she killed him was enough to send a shot of arousal through her body.

As if that _boy_ , could attain a being such as herself. She was six hundred and thirty seven years old. She'd been alive and living his greatest sexual fantasies when the boy's _great-great-grandparents_ were nothing but sperms in prepubescent ball sacks. A being such as herself, immortal and unchanging, would never fall to such a ridiculous level of dating a _high school boy_. Not unless, she was there to merely watch him suffer – such as her comrade, Mittelt, who took great pleasure in enslaving pitiful human males like dogs.

A long life-span also came with enough time to pursue numerous, different activities. She'd mastered singing with a literal angelic voice, perfected over two hundred different styles of dance, mastered over seventy different human languages, and attained a still hand and an artistic prowess that could have her mistaken for Da Vinci in his prime.

She'd also _bedded_ Da Vinci in his prime – the man was every bit a sexual deviant as the rumors and legends professed. Pansexual, he was willing to experiment nearly anything… needless to say, one of her greatest threesomes had been with the artist.

But of course, numerous other fallen angels had done the same. It was a bit of a game amongst the fallen angel populace to have sex with as many famous or notorious individuals in history. The problem was ensuring that the individual you would have sex with _would_ in fact, become famous. Many had swung and missed – grumbling at their unfortunate luck at having sex with people whose legacies never entered the immortal pages of history. Others, were consistently perfect and finding the right targets. Azazel-sama, of course, was one of such people. Azazel-sama probably had the largest sex-count, having bedded famous women such as Cleopatra and Helen of Troy.

Whether or not their intercourse was 'consensual' was debatable, considering the fallen angel ability to alter memories.

As higher beings, they of course did not bother with such trivialities. It was one of the few things which put them at odds end with the Angels of Heaven, who would be 'outraged' at the casual manipulation of the humans.

She snorted at the hypocrisy. It wasn't as though _their Father_ himself had not cuckolded Joseph in order to have 'The Virgin' Mary bring forth 'The Messiah'.

Raynare disregarded her thoughts and spite towards heaven. She was a Fallen now, and that was all that mattered. Instead, she rose her right leg in the bath, staring as the trickles of water rose down from it. The candles in the room set the scene even further, and she could only smile at this life of opulence.

Soon, she would attain 'The Witch' who was both kind and naïve enough to heal a devil – and with the power of that Sacred Gear – she would begin her plans.

The only problem, was the fact that something was off. In the air, all around, in _Kuoh_ , there was _something_ – and she couldn't put her hand on it. She might not possess the supernatural providence and sense of foresight that all the 'pure' angels had, but it wasn't entirely gone. A sense of danger… of ill-boding. A premonition of something either monstrously vile, or monstrously powerful.

The sound of flapping wings echoed in her ears, and she turned, displeasingly to find the person present.

"Dohnaseek."

"Raynare." He responded courtly.

"What have I said about interrupting me while I am bathing?" she said, amusement coloring her voice. "Must you descend to such lows to see my body like this, and project this image unto the next poor human woman you have sex with?"

The bowler-hat wearing Fallen Angel let out a sound that was a cross between a grunt and hum. "You flatter yourself woman. I'm not here for that."

"So you say," Raynare added, her amusement rising "Yet, I hear from Mittelt that you went into the town and fucked every single woman you could find in the brothels and love hotels. Yet, none could satisfy you, could they?"

"That's none of your business." He bit out.

Raynare laughed. "Tut. Tut. As I've already told you, Dohnaseek. I can give you that night again, if you submit to me, suck on my toes, let me feel your insides with my fingers –"

"You're delusional."

"Am I?" she asked, tilting her head. "I know you still think of that night. Under the moon in the aftermath of Battle of the Somme. In the river, with the sound of gunfire and chaos, the smell of blood and death rich in the air…" she smiled teasingly. "You were so young then. So _inexperienced_. You released so quickly after I pushed your head into the water and wouldn't let you come up for air. Poor little Dohn-chan – just fifty-four years old… and he wanted to desperately please his lovely superior."

The bowler haired man grit his teeth, his eyes darkly obscured by his cap. He didn't say anything, making Raynare's smile grow wilder, more dangerous – _predatory_. For an instant – her smile was that of monsters, and then it was gone, her serene expression once more on her face.

"But, I assume you didn't just come here to receive a reminder of how you failed to please me on the best night of your life." She said dismissively. "What is it you want?"

"… There is… something dangerous in the air."

Raynare frowned. True, she too, had sensed it. She had felt it. The dangerous stirring. Her senses, attuned to danger and ill-omens had been on edge all night. Her hair was standing dangerously on edge.

"Yes… I sensed it as well."

"Do you believe it is the devils?"

Raynare laughed. "No – certainly not. Siblings of the Satans or not, two devils who are barely two decades old would not be capable of instilling such a sense of danger in us. It's something else."

The foreboding feeling seemed to magnify, and a shudder ran down Raynare's spine.

"Where are Mittelt and Kalawarner?" she asked sharply

"They were having some issues with the Priest, Freed. Right now, they're out of town, and won't be back for another three days at least."

Raynare cursed. Of all the times – "Order the Exorcists to be on their guard. This feeling – it's – "

 _Wrong._

 _Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong._

That was the only way she could explain it. As though something that did not belong on this God-given earth was present. An aberration – and abnormality in the flow of the world and the universe as a whole. Something that could shake the world and rewrite it – change the flow of the very fundamental forces of nature and make them heed its commands and desires at a whim –

"… I need you to inform Azazel-sama of an unexpected development." She said sharply. "Now. Tell him –"

 _POWER._

Raynare's breath was caught short, her eyes widening at the _overwhelming_ amount of magical energy that exerted itself on the world. The sheer amount of magic she was detecting was _ludicrous_ – it was magical power on the same level of a Ten-Winged Angel, if not more. Power that could turn cities and entire countries into a barren wasteland if unleashed in one stroke.

She rose out of her bath, paying no heed to how the water dripped from her naked body, and she immediately barked command to her junior.

" _Now. Now. Now."_ She hissed. "Tell Azazel-sama of the recent developments – _now._ "

"But – what about you –"

She shot him a stern glare, grabbing him by the neck. "If there is an enemy that I cannot defeat, evade or overcome, do you somehow believe _you_ being present will even the odds? Or are you volunteering to be a disposable bait and cover my escape?" She snarled. "In which case, I would kill you here and now for the sheer stupidity of that thought. Now, _make yourself fucking useful to me and go inform Azazel-sama_."

She thrust him to the ground, paying no heed to his coughing and how he awkwardly rubbed his throat, before nodding. "Y-yes, Raynare-sama."

He flew away, causing Raynare to scoff at the sheer weak-willed nature of the individuals under her command. Underlings were such a troublesome and ineffective thing to have. She immediately dressed herself in her 'combat' attire, clad in the overtly sensual and revealing leather that did more to expose her skin than it did to cover it. If the aberration was male – she could seduce him with her charm and body. If it was female, she would be out of luck with that aspect. Likewise for if it were neither or genderless.

She left her bathroom, which was previously the pastor's office in the abandoned church, and she moved to the higher levels of the church, the second floor, where she would be able to have a good enough view of any intruders from the front or back.

As expected, most of her exorcists were also on guard, all of them, with their masks covering their faces and identities, shook in place, unease clear in their forms.

These minions were needed in the eventuality of an attack by the Devils inhabiting this town. They were of laughable strength, which was only made up for by sheer numbers and a blind dedication to her. At the very best, they would buy her some time to escape, and at worst, she could use them as sacrificial pieces to cover her attacks.

"On your guards!" she barked at them, making all of them look up, and 'sigh' in relief.

"Ah! Tenshi-sama is here!"

"Raynare-tenshi-sama!"

"With her backing us, we'll win!"

"We'll make sure no harm comes to you, Tenshi-sama!"

 _Fools_. Raynare thought, shaking her head and gripping the railing she stood on. _Fools, the lot of them_.

The horrendous power of _magic_ that approached, now did so from a discernable location. The front doors. Her troops stood, surrounding the entrance in some valiant attempt at a strong defensive stand, even as the pressure around them grew ever thickening, ever-heavily.

No one breathed. No one spoke. No one moved.

Complete, utter silence filled the nerve-wracking air.

And then –

Everyone felt _heat_.

" **YOL –"**

The sense of _wrongness_ hit Raynare and churned her stomach, and she, a supernatural being attuned to the world, could feel that the will of the world was bending, and reality was being made someone's bitch.

" **TOR –"**

The overwhelming heat was making her sweat. Sweat not in the sexy way she liked and preferred, but instead, sweat profusely in a matter of seconds, something that should not have been possible.

" **SHUL!"**

An overwhelming _roar_ of _fire_ collided with the large doors of the church, and the doors _melted_ , instantaneously. Her mind faltered at the sight of wood _melting_ into nothinness – followed by the tidal wave of fire and heat that soared into the room like Moses had commanded the parted seas to return. Even high up, the flames seared away at her clothing, and dried away her accumulated sweat. Those who had been in front of the door where the unfortunate fools – the flames, instantaneously engulfed them. First, their clothes vanished to ash, and then their skin rapidly followed, sizzling and burning off until their internal organs were visible, and even that, went by quickly, until all that was left was a charred skeleton standing still – until even the skeleton was gone, turned to ash in seconds.

There had not even been enough time for the majority of them caught by the flames to scream out or vocalize their demise. Rather, it was those who were at the extreme ends, farther away from the door, that screeched, screamed and panicked. The flames burnt away their robes and melted their guns and swords, leaving them standing with partiaully ruined clothes and heavily charred skin.

The scent of burning flesh and meat tickled Raynare's nostrils, even as the pained, frantic screams of burning men and women entered her ears. She was unmoved by it, as it was hardly her first time witnessing such forms of death, yet, she would admit it was her second time experiencing flames of such ferocious power. The first time she had witnessed such flames, was during the Great War – when the Heavenly Dragon Emperors bathed legions in a sea of fire.

This… this was far worse.

Most of her outfit had sizzled away by the heat, her hair was frazzled and unkempt as a resulting consequence, and she swallowed whatever saliva in her throat as she considered her options.

The flames had ended, the fire and brimstone like a nightmare from hell, gone, and then, from within the chaos, the mighty destruction – a man emerged.

He _walked in_.

His hands casually in his pockets, wearing a leather jacket and jean pants, suitably tall and possessing slicked-back black hair and a face that was a mix of rugged and gentle, he sauntered into the church as though he owned it.

His sharp red eyes flickered across the room, seemingly _evaluating_ something. The burning men? The remaining exorcists shaking like leaves in his presence? Or was it the thick scent of ammonia from those who had soiled that was rapidly climbing and mixing in with the scent of burning flesh? Raynare could not tell.

But his eyes… his _eyes_ –

There was blatant _disinterest_ in them. He had the same look of a man who was tasked with killing a few troublesome mosquitoes.

"So, there are two options before you." The man said, his tone dull and bored. "Die or flee. When I say flee – I mean flee this town. To your loved ones, if you have them, or to your coping mechanisms from the nightmares you will have of this night."

He shrugged.

"You have three seconds to decide. Those of you who have not decided by then, will become my guinea pigs."

 _Powerful,_ would be the first word that came to Raynare's mind as she gazed upon the man below. The utter and complete lack of self-preservation, the total, banal and blatant way he made his ultimatum.

He believed every single word that came out from his mouth like it were the gospel truth. The sheer dismissive glint in his eyes indicated that he felt he was talking to worms and birdfeed – a lesser lower existence not even worthy of his time and effort.

That sort of confidence could only arise from a being that was not human.

It was stupid of her. _Suicidal_ of her, one might even claim. But Raynare had always enjoyed living on the edge. Taking high and dangerous risks. So, she descended down, in all her naked glory, a smile on her face as her black wings took her to the level of the man.

"Such a display of raw firepower," she said, smiling at him. She ensured her body was visible, well and truly visible. Highlighted and accentuated. "But I must ask – who are you, and why do you come here and kill my lovely followers?"

The man's gaze locked on her. There was something in his eyes, something raw and dangerous. And then, he smiled.

And Raynare's heart froze when she saw the fangs.

* * *

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 _Keep it fucking cool, and keep it fucking badass –_

 _Cool and badass –_

 _Cool and badass –_

 _Come on Seth, you just fucking melted a wooden door and broke the laws of physics and chemistry – keep being cool – keep being badass –_

On any other occasion, I wouldn't have given two flying fucks. But _damn_ , I needed to be cool. I needed to be level-headed for this moment. I mean – _fuck!_ The [ **Fire Breath** ] Shout was _motherfuckingly beautiful!_

That fire! That fucking beautiful sea of fire!

 _THAT IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A DRAGON BETHSEDA!_

Sweet fucking god. I hadn't even expected it to be that powerful. The sheer disparity between what I used in the game and what I used here was fucking blowing me away.

So, I can't act like a fucking idiot – or my normal self – after doing something that badass. That cool. Nuh-huh. No way.

So, I got into character. I was **Ragnar Lothbrok** again. Dragonborn. Slayer of Alduin. Archmage of the College of Winterhold. Listener of the Dark Brotherhood. Nightingale of Nocturnal.

I was him. _My character_.

And so, like my character, I was relaxed. I didn't swear like a fucking maniac, because swearing was rarely ever badass.

I sauntered in. I made my declaration. I watched as a bunch of the exorcists pissed themselves. And it was getting harder and fucking harder to stop myself from breaking character and smiling like a maniac when people were looking at me like I was the hybrid child of Spawn and Batman.

Until – well, until _she_ , appeared.

I almost choked on my own saliva.

Long, dark locks of hair. Flawless, crystal clear tanned skin. Rich, abundant thighs that spelt of unknown pleasures and delights. Full, _ohmygod_ rich, _succulent_ , _round_ breasts that did not sag in any feasible way. A mischievous glint in her dark eyes, a smile on her face, her arms crossed over her tanned, _athletic_ stomach and belly-button – and then below – below –

I felt my pants grow several shades tighter.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Jesus-fucking-Christ.

The anime did not do her justice. Fuck no. In person, standing before me – I – I had no words. To call her _beautiful_ would feel like an insult – it would be to put people who were _merely_ 'beautiful' on the same fucking pedestal.

Sana was an ugly, malnourished hunchback when compared to her.

Were all Fallen Angels this… _alluring_? Were all _DxD girls_ like this?

I was _seriously_ beginning to reconsider my goal of leaving Japan and not getting involved in the plot. Fuck that shit. There was a motherfucking goddess in front of me –

 _Shit, how beautiful would an ACTUAL goddess be?_

… Was I really going to let my dick do all the thinking here? No – think – logically – think –

Raynare opened her mouth to speak. "Such a display of _raw_ _firepower_ ,"

My mind was short-circuiting again. Gods she sounded like she was moaning. Her voice alone had a sensual quality to it that was… Fuck. Fuck. My pants were getting to tight to handle this. I hoped she hadn't noticed. Dear god, let her not have fucking noticed.

 _You fucking idiot! You just slaughtered a bunch of idiots by bathing them in fire and that didn't give you pause, but at the sight of a fucking hot woman you're losing your shit?!_

 _GET IT TOGETHER AND BE A FUCKING MAN!_

[ **Calm]**

I smiled.

My mind was calmer now. Less erratic. I could look Raynare in the eyes and not focus purely on her body, however amazing said body might be. Fallen Angels were said to have the most amazing bodies to tempt men, and I just had first hand proof as to how true that was.

My thoughts were interrupted as she jerked back in shock at my smile.

 _Why?_

Most likely she saw my vampire fangs. Interesting. Why were people so awed or shocked by vampires? I don't recall them having much of a reputation in the DxD world. Also, she asked me a question… but I didn't know what it was. Most likely, it was something along the lines of 'who are you and what are you doing here?' So… I need to respond. How would I respond?

 _How would_ _ **Ragnar**_ _ **Lothbrok**_ _respond?_

"I merely came in search of some amusement," I spoke, ensuring to keep my voice as level and apathetic as I could. "And perhaps, a… _meal_ or two." I let my fangs show at this.

There was no real point in telling her that I was technically hired to get rid of her mooks because they were bad for Kuoh's business. No – better to let her believe that I was here on my own terms and reasons.

"I… I see." Raynare said, although, shakily. "I was not aware that there was a Vampire in this town. Considering –"

"Considering what?" I interrupted sharply. "Considering the _devils_ who run around like little girls claim this town as theirs?" I made sure to snort dismissively. "They know better than to draw my ire."

Mostly because they didn't even _know_ I was here. At least, I hoped they didn't.

"And what exactly, have my followers done to draw your ire?" she asked, unsurely.

"Nothing." I said, grinning. "But – they are prey and amusement. As most humans and lower lifeforms are. Would you not agree with me, Raynare of the Fallen?"

She jerked back. "Y-you – you know my name?"

"Funny little crow," I said, taking two steps forward. "Finding out such things as names is trivial for a being such as myself. I am sure you feel it – my raw power?"

Nakamura said that I had powerful mana. Let's just hope Raynare could sense it as well. Judging by how her eyes grew wider, she seemed to have. Okay – that was good. I need to play it a little closer to the heart and not oversell it.

"Although, I must confess… it has been _forever_ since I have _had_ a fallen."

She went ramrod stiff. I hope that had not been too ambiguous. I meant _drank the blood_ of a fallen not _fucked and owned_ a fallen – But, seeing how she suddenly became more conscious of her body, I could pretty much tell that she thought I meant the latter.

And… now she was looking... livid.

* * *

 **XXXX**

* * *

Raynare knew the law of the jungle. The law of the world at large. In a world filled with gods and demons and monsters – humans were at the bottom. They were cattle, used and abused as fitting the whims of superior beings. The Greek Gods and myths were proof of this, as numerous mortals and humans had suffered and perished and been punished at the whim of the gods.

Of course, for beings such as herself, who were above humans, she also used and discarded them as she willed. The problem was, she knew she was not high-up on the pecking order. With only one pair of wings, she was at the very bottom end of the scheme on the hierarchy. Beings superior to her, with Ten, Twelve, or even Eight and Six wings could command her, deprive her of any free will, and make her shamefully submit to them – because they were more powerful.

Likewise, she knew, if she were ever unlucky enough to cross paths with one of the worse gods, such as Zeus, she would be reduced to an object to be used and discarded at his will. This was the law of the world – the harsh reality and downside of this immortal life –

The world was ruled by power.

Those with power were at the top of the table. Untouchable, they were the predator of all and the prey of none.

Those without power were at the bottom. The planktons of the universe – devoured and consumed by those above them.

She knew, eventually, such a day would come. Where she would meet a being superior to her, and she would either be forced into a choice between submission and death. She knew many, like her, who had been unfortunate to have fallen to such fates.

Now… now it seemed, it was her turn.

But – she would not give up – not without a fight –

"As I am rather bored and looking for amusement, I will give you two options, Raynare." The Vampire said simply. "The first, is that you are to kill all but two or three female exorcists in your care. I will take them as mine, and spare you."

The announcement threw her for a loop.

"The second, is for you to refuse, and foolishly attempt to attack me. In which case, I will _bend your will_ to be mine and unravel your mind until you serve me with nothing but glee in your heart."

The threat carried such heavy weight that Raynare couldn't help but _shudder_ at the sheer power behind them.

"You have five seconds to decide."

If she was not so baffled by the circumstances, she would have laughed. _Decide?_ There was nothing to decide. She sacrificed her pawns and sent three unfortunate women to become the livestock and sex sleeves of this vampire and she would have her freedom and her life. Who would ever need time to decide such a thing?

She turned, to the side, staring at the remaining few of her exorcists.

"T-Tenshi… sama?"

She smiled at them.

"Silent you pitiful worm. You're about to die… for your beloved angel."

And then, she struck. It could hardly be called a battle. Dismayed and unable to respond in time to her assault, her **Light Spears** rained down upon the hapless fools with little resistance and effort. She cut her swathe through them with nothing but the thought of her own survival, her own life at stake.

Some, valiantly tried to put up a fight. Her spear of light clashed against a sword of a man, fury in his eyes.

"RAYNARE! YOU TRAI – GURK!" her second hand shot out a quick dagger of light which pierced his throat and emerged from the other side.

A stray bullet of light grazed her cheek, causing her to swear, turning to face the shooter, manifesting a poleaxe of light in her right hand and slamming it into the hapless man's face.

"GATHER HER! SURROUND HER! SHE CAN'T TAKE US ALL AT THE SAME TIME!"

She cursed. They'd gotten smart – ganging up on her at the same time. She thrust her left hand battling away several exorcist swords of light at her front –

 _BLAM! BLAM!_

"GAH!"

She yelled as two bullets found their way into her right ankle.

"SHE'S DOWN!"

"GET HER!"

They capitalized on the weakness like a swarm of bloodthirsty vultures. Her movements limited, she began taking more damage. A slash on her wrist, a stab to the side of her stomach – two people held her from behind, grasping unto her legs with as much determination as they could, and as she stabbed the back of their skulls with her spears, two swords found themselves into the front of her stomach.

She coughed up blood, disbelieving at the damage, as she stared into the hate-filled eyes of her former minions.

"You taught us well, tenshi-sama."

Rage, boiling, bubbling rage filled her.

"RAAAAAAGH!"

Renewed, like a demon from the pits of hell, she unleashed a hailstorm of light spears and daggers in every direction, heedless of the damage. The grabbed the insolent minion in front of her, clawing away at the man's eyes before viciously snapping his neck. She turned to the next one, her foot extending downwards and crushing the man's skull.

Bathed in their blood, the savage dance of death continued, eliminating the minions she had gathered, one by one, until she ensured that there were only three of them left – three hapless females – for these ones, she restrained herself. knocking them out, her physical strength fully capable of rendering them unconscious, and most likely giving them concussions.

At the end of it all, she lay on the floor, panting, covered in blood that was slowly crusting against her skin, her mission complete. The cost however, was enormous. She could barely move. She was bleeding profusely from all her wounds. Her vision was getting blurrier. The taste of copper was complete in her mouth and the stench of death and blood was overly nauseating.

It baffled her, and at the same time, it swelled her up with pride. The minions she gathered, to think that they were that strong, that capable. She almost laughed – it was sad and ironic that this was the way she found out. She killed them all, eventually, but their sheer numbers had worn her down enough to land such injuries.

She turned her tired, weak to the vampire, who had not moved from his spot since she began her massacre.

"T-there… I-I I'm done."

"So it seems."

He walked forward, with what looked like sick, morbid fascination in his eyes. He stared down at her injured form, making her hair stand on end as she realized, if the vampire chose not to follow his word, she would be unable to as much as resist against him.

He knelt close, looking at her injuries, her blood covered form, the savage massacre she had committed and Raynare could only wonder what sort of satisfied thoughts ran through his mind. What possibly could a being such as himself, be thinking about all of this? Be thinking, about what she had done? Be thinking, about her?

"You're beautiful." He breathed.

…

She had not expected _that._

Her eyes locked with his, and there were no deception in those red orbs, only… only…

 _Enthrallment._

Raynare didn't know what to think.

She didn't know what to say.

He rose his hand over her stomach, and a sense of fear and foreboding filled her – for all of a few seconds. Instead, she watched, as slowly, her wounds began to heal. Her flesh began to mend themselves, a glowing light overwhelmed her form and her injuries sizzled and hissed. The holy bullets in her skin popped out, and the holes were healed immediately – the slashes and cuts vanished, and even the stab wounds in her stomach –

All of them, gone.

 _In seconds_.

Not only that, but she felt _rejuvenated_. As though she had been infused with enough _stamina_ to run several thousand miles and back.

… _Impossible._

 _Impossible._

Everything she knew told her that what the man had just done was impossible. Healing arts were so rare and arcane in the world, that healers were treated as _gold_. Healing Magic, even those used by devils, required direct, skin-to-skin transfusion of magical energy, and even then, it took several hours. The Sexual Healing offered by the Youkai required the connection of sex and the transfusion of bodily essences in order for the technique to take effect – and even then, it wasn't _instant._

The power he had – it was – it was –

 _Like the Twilight Healing._

No… it was _better_.

He rose, paying no heed to the feat he just performed as though it was ordinary, and then he turned his attention to the three living, but unconscious exorcists.

"Our deal is complete. You've truly impressed me, Raynare of the Fallen."

With effortless ease, he carried the three people on his shoulders. Stacking them like mere bags of potatoes. Raynare sprung to her feet, confirming, that aside from the blood all over her body, she was fully healed.

 _Incredible…_

 _Incredible…_

She, too, found herself enthralled with the power of the vampire in front of her.

"Who… _are you?_ What you just did –"

"It was nothing. A trivial feat. It is the least I could do, after witnessing such a beautiful display."

"Beautiful?" she laughed. "That, was beautiful?"

He grinned. "Yes, it was. In every way possible. And you, watching you – it was one of the most beautiful things I have seen."

 _Slaughtering her minions in a desperate bid to survive… was beautiful?_

"You're… like me."

The Vampire hummed. "My name is **Ragnar**." He announced. Moving forward, even with three people on his soldier, he reached for her hand, taking it, slowly, and gently, brushing his lips against her knuckles in a kiss.

Raynare found herself wondering what sort of bizarre world she had entered. This was not how these things went –

He was more powerful. He was more dangerous. If he found her beautiful and desired her, he would merely go back on his word and stake his claim, not… not _this_. Romance, courting, flirting – all of those things were reserved for humans. Beings such as themselves did not waste time or energy on such trivialities – and nowhere, nowhere, would she ever see a being of higher power behave in such a manner to a being of lower power that he could merely claim as his.

If you wanted something, you took it. You didn't ask. You just took it. That was how the world of power worked. Zeus sees girl, Zeus beguiles and forcefully takes girl. Why would Zeus _ask_ if she wanted to be taken? Why would a being of higher power consider the opinions of one of lower power? It was like a human asking a rodent if it wanted to be dissected.

If Mary had refused being the 'Vessel' of the 'Messiah', would her 'Father' have accepted her refusal (deny the will of a literal deity) or would he have disregarded her opinions and used her anyway?

Didn't Jonah, refuse, time and time again, to do the will of her Father, only to be swallowed by a whale, and _forced_ into doing what he desired?

When her 'Father' wanted something, he took it. So who was this strange vampire… who did not realize this?

"Should you ever find yourself in need of a bit of assistance – or advice, or anything else in the slightest – do not hesitate to ask. Search for a bar called the **Dead Man's Drink** – and I will be there."

With those words, he was gone. Vanished. One second, he was there, and the next, he was not. It was almost as though he had somehow escaped her sense of detection, despite her eyes being trailed firmly on him.

She didn't know how long she had stood there, staring blankly, her head a mire of different thoughts.

"Raynare!"

It was only the sound of Dohnaseek's voice which drew her from her stupor.

"I've sent the message to Azazel-sama – but he's occupied and won't be able to…"

He stopped speaking, abruptly. Raynare wondered if it was at the sight of the dead bodies, or perhaps, the sight of her, naked and covered in dried blood –

"You – Raynare… your wings –"

She turned her attention to his focus, turning her gaze to the side –

And she flexed her _two_ beautiful pairs of wings.

* * *

 **XXXX**

* * *

 **Dead Man's Drink**

I got back home, unable to get the scene out of my head. I couldn't. The fight, Raynare – everything – it was like watching one of my vampire fantasies come to life. Like watching a shounen anime come to life. Like watching a high-quality movie come to life. A beautiful woman, naked, fighting viciously and violently for her life, with a cruel smirk and questionable ethics and morals –

If I'd been a weaker man, I'd have pinned her there and done something stupid – I _could have_ – but I didn't – partially out of respect for what I saw, and partially out of upholding my part of the deal –

For now though, I had three exorcists knocked unconscious – three new guinea pigs I'd test the rest of my powers on –

"I have finished preparing dinner, Seth-sa –"

I shut Sana up with a forceful kiss on my part. Her eyes went wide, the unexpected action surprising her. I dominated her tongue, claiming it, exploring her mouth completely with my tongue. I escaped the kiss, a small trail of saliva connecting our lips.

Fuck it, I'd been overcharged from the sight of Raynare, overcharged from the sight of her fight and battle – I needed some fucking release.

"S-Seth-sama?"

I kissed her again, my hands roaming and squeezing her chest. A small moan escaped her lips, the moan reminded me of Raynare's voice. Like a switch had been flipped, I tore off her clothes, and stared hungrily at her naked body.

In comparison to Raynare's, it was lackluster. So very lackluster. But my mind was too hazy and to overcome with lust to care. I pictured a different face in Sana's place, and I smiled as I gave her my commands.

"Sana… pleasure me."

"As you command, Seth-sama."

A soft, pleasurable warmth filled me up as I experienced the insides of a woman for the first time in my new body. I was larger, than before. Larger, and far more sensitive. Sana was good. She was tight.

It could have been anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour and we were still going. She was panting, soaked and completely overworked with sweat – and I –

I had barely broke a single sweat.

My stamina regenerated faster than it could burn through sex, and I felt as though I had barely began. In the end, Sana passed out before I got anywhere. She couldn't keep up. Couldn't handle a person with nigh-infinite stamina. She was merely mortal – merely human. I wasn't.

I was dissatisfied. I hadn't finished. Hadn't even come close.

Instead, burning within me, was a renewed, twisted sense of purpose and fire, and a new realization.

 _I am immortal._

As a Vampire, I would not age. Never. So, I _would_ eventually leave Japan… eventually. Travel the world, do stuff. But, for now, I wanted sex. I wanted the satisfaction that came with such heavenly bodies…

 _I wanted the girls of this world._

Goddesses – Angels – Valkyrie – Demons – Succubus – Catgirls –

 _I wanted_ _them all._

It was a shameless goal. It was probably just me thinking with my dick – but fuck it. What's the point of being immortal (AND IMMUNE TO ALL FUCKING DISEASES!) if you can't have as much sex as you fucking wanted? STDS was never going to be an issue thanks to my vampiric blood. So what was stopping me other than flimsy bits of morals and the realization that I was seeing women as objects rather than people?

I'd seen 2D Raynare, and the 3D version had been far more beautiful than I ever pictured, enough to still leave me throbbing painfully.

How would a 3D Rias look? A 3D Akeno? A 3D Koneko?

Hell, even Rias' mother, Venelana, and Sirzechs' wife, Grayfia?

What of Serafall Leviathan?

"Yeah… I know exactly what the fuck I'm going to do here."

It wasn't like I had much to live for either way. My family, sister, and friends were gone. I had no purpose to live. No real reason to wake up in the morning. So here, I could find a new purpose… the craziest fucking purpose…

 _Fuck all the girls._

 _All_ of them.

Every last DxD Girl.

 _Even Ophis._

…

To be able to do something that insane – I'd need _power_. I'd need to be _wayyyyy_ fucking stronger than I was now. Hell, I'd need to be the most powerful person in the world bar none. And to do that… there was a penultimate goal that stood above the rest.

 **Slay the Dragon of Dragons**

It was that simple, and it was that difficult.

The Dragonborn was the cannibalistic nightmare of all dragons. If my abilities remained unchanged, then I would be able to slay the Great Red, and absorb his soul. Absorbing his soul should mean _absorbing his power_.

It was a stretch – a long one, and I had no real data to back up this hypothesis. But – I knew how I would get that data. Thankfully, there was an idiotic, perverted dragon present in Kuoh Town by the name of Hyoudou Issei. I would need to kill Issei and/or Ddraig, and absorb their souls to test if my hypothesis was correct. If it was – I would continue advancing my plans to eventually accumulate enough power to slay the Dragon of Dragons.

Moreover, I needed to test the full limits of my power. What could I do? What couldn't I do? I needed to know everything – every detail – every intricacy. The Great Red's full power is theoretically unknown, and theoretically limitless. In sheer mass alone, he's over ten times larger than Alduin. In magical might and prowess – I did not possess the slightest inkling of what he was truly capable of.

So I needed intel and information as much as I needed to acquire power.

The Dragonborn defeated Alduin with the aid of three ancient Nord heroes... had he not?

So… _allies_ were probably going to be needed. Maybe I'd enlist myself in the Khaos Brigade? It seemed like a workable option. More than that – it would give me access to Ophis.

I needed a proper base of operations. One suitably hidden, and one that I could fully outfit with as many defensive measures as I needed. The **Dead Man's Drink** could not be that.

The most problematic thing, however, was that it was going to be impossible to truly accomplish what I had in mind without drawing suspicion, scrutiny, or otherwise problematic encounters. Hiding in the shadows and operating without my enemies being aware of my identity or my goals in a town as small as this was impossible, especially with my foreign appearance.

So I'd need to come out into the limelight.

I rose from the bed, rubbing my palms, ignoring the throbbing pain down below. There was no more time for idle thoughts and thinking. Now was the time for action. Action.

For my completely selfish and depraved goal of having sex with all the beautiful women of this world – I would go down a path of a legend.

I would slay the Great Red, the Dragon of Dragons –

And I'd do it –

For sweet, glorious, waifus.


	5. Dragon Slayer

**Dead Man's Drink**

 **Seth's Bedroom**

 **3:20 AM**

"Part of me feels that this little goal I've set for myself is wayyy fucking out there – but another part of me is whispering into my fucking ears that 'A Pervert-With-No-Personality was capable of making all these women fall for him, if you can't do the same, kill yourself'" I said, staring at the ceiling. "I mean it would _really_ suck if that happened. I honestly can't see what's so special about Issei that anyone would fucking fall in love with him. The dude sees women as nothing but breasts and a fucking masturbatory aid. Can anyone really fall for someone like that?"

"Perhaps – ugh – there – ah – is something you – mmm – are missing, Seth-sama?"

I snorted. "Like what? Issei's only redeeming traits are his 'kindness' and his 'never-give-up-attitude.' I don't even think kindness should be considered a fucking redeeming trait. 'Hey! You're not an asshole! Congratulations, that makes you special!'" I groaned a bit. "Being _a decent human being_ should not be considered as a 'positive'. It's the 'absence of a negative', and the 'absence of a negative' does not equal a positive."

"I'm not sure I – ah – ah – understand –"

"L-let's put it this way," I said. "You want to go to a dance and you need to pick a partner. Issei comes along and says 'hey, I don't trip over both feet while dancing!' Would you pick him as your partner, even though that's the _bare minimum_ _requirement_ for someone dancing, or would you instead look for the person whose footwork and choreography can make you dripping wet on the dancefloor?"

"Y-yes – wet – dripping wet – I – ahh – I'd prefer – that."

"Well that's only fucking obvious selection. So, eliminating 'kindness', Issei's only real character trait is 'bullheaded stubbornness' masked under the shounen-tinted-glasses name of 'determination and grit.'" I groaned. "S-such bullshit. It's bullshit to think that those are the only two things you need to make someone fall for you. What about interesting hobbies? Special talents? Idiosyncratic perspectives? A daring, breathtaking life? An overpowering intellect? Or even just plain old fucking charisma?"

"Seth-sama, I'm – I'm –"

The woman on me shuddered out, her head curling back in pleasure as she bit down on her lips and tightened against me. Her lips let out a soft gasp, and she collapsed, her sweaty breasts landing on my exposed chest, her breath coming out in soft, ragged pants.

"Seth-sama, you – didn't –"

"No." I said dryly. "You know, at some point in my life, I'd have given fucking _anything_ to have nigh-infinite stamina. I mean, to be able to stay awake all through the night and be able to never get tired? It sounded like a good deal. Guess they forgot to add that it makes it _really_ fucking hard for someone to get you off."

"I – I'm sorry, Seth-sama."

I shook my head. "No – it's not your fault I have this freakishly weird body. It makes me feel like my life was written by an eroge mangaka. Shit, considering people in this world can gain power from poking breasts… I hope this isn't some ecchi aspect of this world fucking with me."

I sighed, reaching into my inventory and bringing out one of my **Stamina Potions** , before casually putting it in Sana's hands. "Come on, we're not done yet."

She stared up at me, her eyes wide. "S-seth-sama, another one?"

"Yes, another one." I said dryly. "Come on, this is good training for you too. I think your max Stamina will shoot through the fucking roof once we're done."

She looked at the potion, before clearing her throat. "But – ah – Seth-sama, you were telling me more about your plans and your goals?"

"Nice try Sana, but I can talk and have sex. _Drink_."

The woman understood the order when it came, and sighed as she took the bottle, and downed the contents of the **Stamina Potion** in one go. The effects were instantaneous, as she lost her 'tired' look. Her eyes became wide and alert, possessing sharpness in them. Her cheeks regained color and vitality, her entire body seemed to shudder once and then immediately come back to life.

 **Stamina Potions** are great substitutes for aphrodisiacs. Who would have fucking thought?

The sound of flesh smacking against flesh reached my ears again as Sana's hips connected with mine, and I groaned a bit at the pleasure, before trying to remember what I was talking about.

"So, what was I talking about again?"

"Your – dislike – of – this – Hyoudou – Issei – boy –"

I nodded, closing my eyes a bit as Sana tightened down on me. "Ahhhhh – yeaaahh – him." I said unintelligently. "He needs to die, and I'm not just saying this cause I'm jealous of how someone like him had girls falling left and right – but my issue with him was the fact that he had nothing of interest going on. Other than becoming a Harem King – he had no fucking notable goals to speak of, and he lived a mundane, boring, empty life that would make public librarians and salarymen shake their heads in pity."

I sat up a bit as Sana increased her tempo.

"Issei was not a _doer._ He never got up on his feet and flipped the world the middle-finger in order to chase his dreams – naw, fuck that, he just sat back and watched as everything fell into his lap. He didn't _do_ , he had things _done_ to him. Being killed, being turning into a devil, being forced to fight against Riser – his life is a laundry list of _reactions_ , not _actions_."

I launched my hands out and grabbed her breasts, listening to her let out a soft moan was making it harder for me to think straight, especially considering how much tighter she seemed to be getting.

"I'm going to make sure I don't fall into that trap. I need to have a life so fucking epic that the gods sitting up in their thrones would _aspire_ to be _me_. This means adventure – danger – conspiracy – the whole enchilada. I want to live a life so large, that at the end of the day, they'll be a large argument among the guys turning my autobiography into a movie about which genre it is."

I pushed Sana down to the bed, changing our positions and grinning down at the sweaty, moaning, panting woman.

"The most interesting motherfucker who ever lived and who would ever live – that's who I'm gonna be!"

Sana screamed into my ear, her legs locking tightly against me, her body shuddering in pleasure as I commanded it to, and I grinned as her back arched on the bed, her hardened nipples and large breasts slamming into me as she did so.

It took about thirty seconds for her climax to end, at which point, her ragged breathing calmed significantly, and she dropped back on the bed, tired.

"Ah… S-Seth-sama… I – that was… amazing –"

"Oh you haven't seen anything yet," I said, before waving a familiar vial with green liquid in front of her.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the **Stamina Potion** , then turned her gaze back to me.

"You can't mean –"

I grinned. "We're just getting started."

* * *

 **XXXX**

* * *

"Seth-sama – I can no longer feel my legs."

I guess I had to stop at _some_ point, and Sana no longer feeling the blood flowing to her legs was probably going to be it.

"Fine, fine – I guess I _should_ let you get some sleep."

Sana let out a large sigh of relief that was not masked in the slightest, making my eye twitch.

"Hey now –" I wanted to say something, but merely chuckled instead. "This reminds me of the first time I got a PS3. I stayed up all night playing videogames for so long, I ended up sleeping through class the next day."

"How does this remind you of that Seth-sama?"

I rubbed my chin. "I never really had the chance to fuck a lot. I got some lucky hits here and there – but sex came around pretty fucking rarely. Without a girlfriend, it's not a surprise. Hell, even _with_ a girlfriend, most people can't just have sex whenever and however they wanted, in any amount they wanted."

I paused.

"Not unless they're women anyway."

Sana rose an eyebrow at that.

"Come on, we both know it's relatively fucking easier for women to get laid. If a girl doesn't give two-shits about being called a whore or the usual slutshaming that follows – she can fuck a different guy every day for a year and have the time of her life. That is, you know, if she is careful enough not to get knocked up or get some STD or some shit."

"As you say Seth-sama." Sana said blandly, before yawning. "I will be needing sufficient amount of sleep to contribute to that topic. You, however, Seth-sama… you no longer need sleep. So what will you do with that extra time?"

I allowed my shoulders to rise and fall. "I'm going to go kill and possibly torture a pervert in order to attain his soul."

"…ah… I suppose whatever makes you happy, Seth-sama?"

I rose from the bed, leaving a naked and sweaty, and now resting Sana on it, and it made me wonder momentarily about the _ethics_ and morals of it all. I'd slept with Sana, and sure, it was entirely 'consensual' except for the fact that she was under the influence of my **Bend Will** shout… which completely changed a lot of things.

Yesterday night, after seeing Raynare, I'd been so consumed by lust that I didn't give much thought to it. I just saw Sana, and I took her. For all the good that it did, considering I was still hard and erect, and whilst Sana had gotten the time of her life, I'd been unable to achieve that big 'O' as it was.

I stretched a bit and descended down the stairs, scratching my hair as I did so. Strange to know I'd never have lice, or be able to catch a cold, or STDs – or pretty much anything, thanks to this body. Just in exchange, I could not sleep as long as my **Stamina** regenerated – and for some weird fucking reason, it was _really, really_ hard for someone to get me off. I could get myself off no problem, but as Sana had displayed, her efforts could only go so far.

On the upside, as a Vampire Lord, my **Stamina** would stop regenerating in the day time, which meant, I wasn't _completely_ insomniac. My stamina would run out in the day, and I'd be able to sleep, and presumably, hit the big 'O' that I really needed. It was absolute fucking torture to have been inside a woman for so long and yet not finishing. I had the worst case of blue-balls I'd ever experienced in my life.

I reached the main floor, the bar, and my thoughts strayed back to Sana, what I'd done, and the fact that I also had three unconscious female exorcists on my floor.

"Oh yeah… I took these women from Raynare didn't I?"

I'd… forgotten a bit about that. Whoops.

They were still unconscious though – which was a good thing. Or a bad thing. This wasn't a fucking movie where people could lose consciousness for hours due to blunt force trauma and then wake up fine and dandy.

At best, they had some serious concussions and other impairments like memory loss and sensory losses.

At worst, they had major brain damage and/or were brain dead.

Pft. I didn't feel up to treating them just yet, plus, if they did have long term damage, it'd help me discover if my healing potions and **Restoration** spells were capable of healing such damages. So, I just needed to make sure they didn't wake up and run away, or kill Sana.

I channeled my magical power into my right hand, before raising it and casting the spell I needed.

"[ **Conjure Familiar** ]."

Within seconds, the light born from my hand coalesced into a solid form, and before me, two large, (and I mean _large)_ spectral wolves appeared. Thanks to the **Twin Souls** perk, I would always summon two spectral familiars at a time. Well, _spectral_ for all of a few seconds, before they fucking decided to take on a more solid form, and gained beautiful color, appearing with thick, silvery-gray fur, gaining rich color, and filling out completely.

Before me stood two completely solid direwolves.

"…I did not see that coming."

I could feel a sort of _connection_ with the creatures, a mental one that made me feel as though I had an extra pair of hands to control. I knew that if I _ordered_ them, they would do as I said immediately and without hesitation, and I had to admit, being fully-colored and solid made the wolves _very_ intimidating.

Now that I thought about it, the [ **Conjure Familiar]** spell always summoned a wolf. But why? Why a wolf? Why couldn't it be used to summon something else? Did it mean that everyone had a wolf as a familiar? How did that make sense? The name of the spell wasn't _conjure wolf_ , it was _conjure familiar_.

I pursed my lips, before raising my right hand again, this time, closing my eyes and envisioning something else.

" **[Conjure Familiar** ]."

The lights worked as I needed, and, within seconds, rather than two extra wolves joining me, I was accompanied by two sleek flying mammals, both bats landing on my shoulders. Their eyes glowed a familiar red like mine did, and I grinned at the success.

Somehow though, I had this _feeling_ that I couldn't summon anything other than bats and wolves. The bats were probably as a side-effect of me being a Vampire Lord, which made a lot more sense for me to have them as my familiars, but I doubted I could conjure a dragon or lion or even a cat.

"[ **Conjure Familiar** ]"

Two More Bats.

"[ **Conjure Familiar** ]."

Two wolves again.

"[ **Conjure Familiar]**."

More bats.

I sighed. I guess I couldn't summon anything other than –

I paused as something fucking hit me, and it wasn't the bats flying around.

"…did I just conjure more than four creatures at a time?"

Four Wolves, and Six Bats stared back at me, perhaps giving me the 'are you fucking stupid' look, which I couldn't blame them for.

" **[Conjure Familiar].** "

The original two wolves vanished, being replaced with two extra bats, and I let out a small breath of air.

 _Ten. I can fucking conjure ten creatures at a time. So that's my fucking max?_

Conjuring Ten Monsters… I almost salivated. I imagined just how much damage ten **Storm Atronachs** could do, or, if I was feeling malevolent, ten **Dremora Lords**. Hell, even having ten **Dead Thralls** or ten **Gargoyles** …

I dismissed all of the conjured creatures except two wolves and two bats, before staring at the bats.

… _will this work?_

"Go. Fly around and tell me what you see."

The bats stared at me dumbly. I felt like a retard. I grabbed the bats by the throat, before 'smiling' at them.

"Bite human."

 _Well at least that worked._

The two bats lunged for one of the unconscious exorcists, sinking their sharp teeth into her ankles. The woman in question immediately jumped up in fright and alarm, her consciousness returning to her courtesy of pain.

She immediately regretted waking up, as the first thing she saw a wolf looming over her, growling straight in her face. Thankfully, the wolves were surprisingly easier to control. I _felt_ for them, instructing them, and the wolves immediately obeyed, pinning the exorcist to the ground with its sheer weight, and then snarling at her.

The second one circled her head, bringing its sharp jaws and dribbling mouth right above her eyes.

Alright, it was time for **Ragnar Lothbrok** to work his magic.

"I'd advise you not to make any sudden movements," I spoke, making sure my voice was thicker and deeper than it was normally. "Otherwise my little pets will sink their teeth straight into your throat and rip out your larynx before you can scream."

She was unbelievably stiff – so much so that I almost felt a bit of pity for her.

 _Almost_.

Damn, I'm enjoying this a little too much aren't I?

"W-w-w-what w-w-will y-you do to me?"

I contemplated the answer. I needed something badass – oh – something intimidating as well.

"Your life is no longer your own. You are spoils of war. Nothing more, nothing less."

She seemed to freeze up at that answer.

"I am curious. What possessed you to follow that Fallen Angel? Raynare, was it?" I asked, walking over to her, and gingerly rubbing the soft furs of my conjured wolves. "Perhaps it was her beauty? Were you bewitched by her appearance?"

The exorcist said nothing. Most likely she was too scared to even speak.

"A shame she chose to sell you out to save her own hide. Such a shame. To have no love for her subordinates. Tsk. It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth."

I made a show of 'sighing' extravagantly.

"I will offer you a deal. You will tell me everything you know of Raynare, every weakness – every strength – every little detail you've observed, and all that you know of her plans. In exchange, I will ensure that you do not suffer any more than is necessary."

There was a sudden scent which caught my nose, one which made me pause as I spoke, one which drew my attention and my full focus. It was _enriching_ , fucking beautifully… fuck, I couldn't think of anything that would describe it –

It was _fucking ineffable!_

What the fuck is that smell?!

I sharpened my eyes at her, and then, I realized it was coming from… her ankles?

 _Blood?_

Oh… I told my bats to bite her didn't I? So she was bleeding…

 _Blood._

Why did blood smell so fucking great?

Oh, that's fucking right. _Vampire._ Shit, shit – shit – it smelt good – too good – what the hell –

How hadn't I noticed that blood smelt so fucking good before? Focus – focus – she was saying something – what was she saying?

"I – I don't know anything about R-Raynare's plans! I was just a –"

Nope, nope, couldn't focus. The smell was just that damned good.

Ah fuck it –

I ordered the wolves to stand aside, before grabbing the exorcist woman by her neck. She was _light_ , or I was just strong, I didn't know which. I looked over her forgettable features, black hair, dull hazelnut-eyes, completely unremarkable. Oh, she was turning blue – why was she turning so blue? And why was she rubbing and patting my hands?

 _Ohhhh!_

I lightened my grip on her neck, and she let out large, gasping breaths. That was strange… I didn't have any fucking problems controlling my own strength when I was fucking Sana –

"I – " she wheezed "Raynare is planning to kill the Witch and take her Sacred Gear Twilight Healing! She also has plans to kill some teenage boy, but that's all I know, I swear!"

 _Twilight Healing?_ What was she talking about? And why was her neck growing incredibly attractive? I brought her closer to me, breathing down on her neck, and grinning as I slowly licked it.

"P-please! N-no! I swear! I told you all I know! Raynare wants the Twilight Healing for a plan of hers – she – she's also – she also knows something about the plans Kokabiel-sama has – but – but that's it – I'm telling y- _gurk!_ "

Hmm…? Rich, creamy. Fucking creamy. Damn creamy. Tasted like a chocolate fountain – ice cream and yoghurt – well, not really, but it _did_ have that coppery ting, and the taste as it rushed down my throat was quite delectable. Fuck – it was good – well, not _good_ , but – damn I couldn't fucking explain it. It was like drinking soup tinged with lemon juice and vinegar – it had a taste that was overwhelming – but you still found it enjoyable.

Now if only she could stop fucking squirming like some cockroach and stay still – oh, that's right, I had a spell for that. [ **Paralysis** ] launched from my hand and she froze in place. There, that's better.

It gulped down my throat with confounding speed and efficiency. I didn't even need to suck to bring the rich nectar out, it was as though merely biting down caused the blood in her body to begin rushing out in submission to my will. That was fucking interesting – also fucking worth studying – blood magic would be fucking useful.

Ah… I drank my fill before letting go of her and wiping the red from my lips. It wasn't quite as bad as I'd feared – better actually. So, this was feeding? Now, shouldn't there have been that notification telling me that my Vampiric Powers receded?

…

No? Really?

No notifications?

Nothing?

Well, let's just fucking roll with that then.

Now I could have sworn she was saying something before the smell of blood set me off – what was that about?

She was frozen under the effects of **Paralysis** , so I guessed I would have to wait a bit before I found out. Or, more likely, I'd come back to find out. It wasn't like she was going anywhere now was she?

I turned to the wolves. "Guard. Don't let humans leave."

They both barked in confirmation. I shook my head and shook it again to shake off the slight haze that clouded my mind because of the blood –

On the upside, this 'blood buzz' would definitely come in handy with dealing with Issei and his shit. I definitely did not want to be conscious to listen to him.

Ah – pervert protagonist, here I come.

" **[Clairvoyance].** "

* * *

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **Kuoh**

 **Near the Abandoned Church**

"Well?"

"…It's… in shambles. The damage looks extensive – but most of which I can detect seem to be in the form of fire-based –"

"Let me see."

Sona Sitri pursed her lip as she took in the stock of the damage from the building which her kind was not allowed to enter. The Church was ruined, and it appeared as though a war had recently been fought there. The ground all around the doors was blackened to charcoal, if not worse. The entrance now possessed a giant hole that was clearly not put there by normal means.

Her eyes narrowed at the particles of glass where there should have been sand, and the fact that the entire building seemed to have suffered significant damages indicative of explosive heat or a shockwave. Windows were blown clean off the building, along with numerous bricks, wood, and other essential items. The central pillars were weakened and destabilized, and she estimated that it would not be long before they crumbled entirely.

"What do you think kaicho?"

She turned to her vice-president, still uncertain of what to say. The damages were not the sort that were possible to have been created by a Fallen Angel. Fire magic was not their specialty, hence, this conflict was not an internal one. Rather, they'd been attacked. The only questions on her mind now were to try and figure out _who_ attacked them, and _why_.

The _who_ of the question so far remained the most important. Sona shuddered as she remembered the overwhelming power and pressure of magic that had suddenly engulfed the town, as she checked and discovered that the entire average temperature of Kuoh had increased significantly in one night. There had been a sense of _reality warping_ power that ached her mind and senses to even remember, as the magic in her body felt inexplicably cautious, disgusted, and terrified of this power all at the same time. She doubted that anyone remotely attuned to the sensing of magic in the city had failed to feel the sheer _wrongness_ in the air.

It felt… it felt as though someone was… _threatening reality_ into doing its bidding.

Absurd as such a statement was, it was the closest thing she could use to describe the sensation.

No doubt, her peerage members had felt it as well. She flicked her eyes behind her, noticing that all of them were unusually tense and coiled. Even her **Queen** , regardless of how well she attempted to hide it, was clearly shaken by the power they had felt.

"I believe we should involve Rias in this." she stated finally. "An attack on the Fallen Angels is not something we can overlook. There is a possibility that the attacker might move on us, and, if this is not the case, there is the possibility that we can be associated with this incident."

"Associated?" Tsubaki asked, "Do you believe that they might think, _we_ were responsible for this?"

"It's not outside the realm of possibility." Sona said, adjusting her glasses with her middle finger. "It could even be asserted that we hired an outside party to do the deed in order to have plausible deniability."

"But – but they wouldn't have proof!" Tomoe sputtered out, and Sona turned her gaze sharply back on her peerage member.

"No they would not. Which is why I will need to involve Rias into this to ensure the accountability of all her peerage members."

Tsubaki's lips morphed into a frown. "Kaicho, first, there was the mysterious police man who claimed to have been robbed by a 'cosplaying foreigner' and now, this. Do you think there's a connection?"

"I would be remarkably surprised if there was not."

A mysterious stranger appears in Kuoh, and a day later the Church was attacked? Calling it coincidence would be naiveté of the highest order. Even if there was no direct correlation between the two events, there would most certainly be a common denominator.

"Finding this 'foreigner' is now a priority. We need to make sure we know just _who_ or _what_ has come to our town – and if deemed necessary, eliminate it."

* * *

XXXX

* * *

 **Kuoh**

 **Hyoudou Residence**

You see, I played the _thief_ style majorly in my Skyrim campaigns. There was something about stealth and assassination that was just fucking fun to do. There was no reason to go out of my way to announce my presence or even _converse_ with my targets. I merely spotted them from afar, took aim with a bow and poisoned arrow, and then let loose. They'd die, I'd loot them, and be on my way back to the **Dark Brotherhood** hideout to collect my reward.

So, I didn't see any reason to do things differently here.

Crouched as I was with my max **Sneak** skill, I was effectively a ghost. I arrived at the Hyoudou Residence, thankful for the broken power that was the **Clairvoyance** spell which helped me find my 'goals' and I stopped at the door, turning the knob silently and frowning to discover it was locked.

I grinned at the challenge, bringing out a single **lockpick** from my inventory, and I'd barely needed to insert it into the door before it clicked open, near silently.

With that mission done, I **Silent Rolled** my way into the house, closing the door behind me, and now vaguely realizing that I was trespassing in the Hyoudou Residence. A lot of some places looked vaguely familiar from the anime, whilst others didn't, and I rolled my way up the stairs, so silently that not even the tiniest of sounds could be heard, before making my way to a corridor with the bedrooms.

I knew which one belonged to Issei, the second door on the left, and I made my way into the room as silently as ever.

There, I saw him for the first time.

Sprawled across the bed, wearing a t-shirt and a pair of boxers, with one leg hanging off the end and his right hand on his stomach, Hyoudou Issei slept.

It would have been _ridiculously_ fucking easy for me to bury a dagger in his throat and kill him before he even had a chance to react, or even realize that there was something wrong. The only reason I _didn't_ , was because I wasn't sure if killing him now would grant me his **Boosted Gear** , considering the fact that he hadn't even unlocked it yet.

 _Should I wait until he unlocks his fucking Sacred Gear before killing him?_

No – that would mean letting him get turned and become acquainted with Rias and her peerage. I did not want that fucking happening, because I did not want to give Rias a reason to even _consider_ Issei as a romantic prospect.

So, I needed to find a way to make him unlock his Sacred Gear – without killing him.

He'd need _stress_ – a lot of it – and a dash of motivation, a sprinkle of a little bit of fear and rage and anger…

I think I knew just the thing.

Still crouching, I made my way out of Issei's room and straight back into the corridor, before finding another room there, and eventually opening it to see the two sleeping nameless placeholders that called themselves his parents. Issei's father wore a pair of plain pajamas to sleep, and his mother wore a nightie that would have looked better on anyone else. I shook my head at the sight.

 _Sorry folks – maybe in your next life, try to be better parents and not let your son be a worthless pervert –_

I glanced at his mother, before raising my right hand, and powering up my spell.

"[ **Frenzy** ]."

And hence, I officially fucked up canon.

Issei's mother woke up, her eyes wide and frantic, an evil, vehement smile on her face that could not be explained or even justified. It was the smile you'd find on Yandere girls, minus the attractiveness. She couldn't see me, because my stealth skills were too high, so she turned her gaze straight to her sleeping husband. She climbed on top of him, straddling the man in a way that made my eyebrow twitch and wonder if I was going to be a fucking voyeur –

Right up until she carried her pillow, and immediately pressed it against his fucking head.

"DIE! DIE! DIE!" she laughed, or screamed, or did both, whilst trying to do her best to suffocate her husband.

 _Shit… should have brought some popcorn –_

I instead settled for a **Sweetroll** from my inventory as I watched the drama unfold.

Issei's father struggled, his hands moving wildly and maniacally and his feet kicking up and about on the bed. It didn't take long for him to overpower his wife, knocking the pillow off his face and knocking her to the ground.

He gasped a bit for air, turning his attention to his wife. "W-what – what are you doing?"

"RAAARGH!" she didn't deem him with a response, instead lunging straight at him with all her might and tackling him to the ground, her nails raking across his face and leaving deep marks.

I munched on my **Sweetroll** judiciously.

"What's come over you?! Stop!"

With her on top of him, there was a struggle, a scuffle, he was holding her back with his superior strength and preventing her from choking him. Well, too bad he couldn't prevent her from slamming her head into his repetitively. She didn't even seem to give a shit about the damage it did to her as well, only interested in causing as much pain as she could.

He faltered after one rather nasty headbutt to his right eye, which was probably where things began to get a little messy as she slammed her fingers into his eyeballs with a mighty roar, and permanently blinding her own husband.

"GRAAAH! MY EYES! MY EYES!"

He stopped holding back, kicking his wife square in the stomach and delivering solid punches across her face that sent her sprawling across the room, slightly dazed. He grasped around blindly for _something_ , gritting his teeth in confusion and anger.

 _Might as well end this –_

I reached into my **Inventory** , pulling out a plain **Iron Dagger** , and sliding it across the room. The only other person with working eyes snapped her attention to it, not knowing where it came from or how it got there, but knowing what exactly it could be used for. The **Frenzy** effect was still going strong, so she dashed for the dagger, picked it up, and immediately turned her attention back to her husband with a wicked snarl.

She rushed him, dagger outstretched, and slammed the blade into his stomach.

He screamed.

She twisted it, brought it out, and stabbed him again, this time, in the chest.

Again, stomach.

Once more, chest.

Three more times in the stomach.

"DIE! DIE!"

I lost count of how many times or how many stabs, as her hand was a blur of motion, going up and down and up and down, penetrating the blade endlessly into her husband. Her nightgown was stained a bright colorful red, along with her face and body, as the scent of blood filled my nostrils and made me smile appreciatively.

By the end of it, when he littered in stab wounds, she stopped, panting heavily, as he stared up at her and barely croaked out his last words.

" _W-why?_ "

…

That kinda made me tingle a bit.

"Ka-san, Tou-san, what's with all the noi –"

Hyoudou Issei appeared at the door.

 _And that's my queue._

* * *

XXXX

* * *

This – this couldn't be happening!

No!

No!

This had to be some sort of dream! A nightmare! That was it! That was the only explanation!

"K-k-ka… chan?"

His mother, his sweet, wonderful mother – covered in blood, a dagger in her hand, and his father – on the ground –

Blood – there was so much blood –

There was blood _everywhere –_

She wouldn't – she couldn't – _why_ would she –

"DI –"

"That's enough out of you."

Shock passed through him at the sound of the sudden voice. A male voice. A male voice he didn't recognize. Standing in the room, in his parents bedroom, was a figure cloaked in red and black, a cowl obscuring his face and leaving nothing but haunting red eyes, the armor he wore was studded, sharp, and had an air of danger to it. Issei didn't understand – who – who was this person? Where had he come from?

The figure slammed his right foot into his mother's chest, pinning her to the ground, and Issei's stomach burned with anger.

 _He was responsible!_

 _That was it! He – he did this!_

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" He roared. His chest was burning. It was burning so much, so badly, it was tighter than he had ever felt it in his life. The cowl-wearing man with red eyes turned his gaze to him. Two red eyes that spoke of nothing but death and chaos.

"LET GO OF MY MOTHER!" he lunged at the man regardless. He bellowed out his lungs in his charge, hearing his blood pump in his ears –

Only to be stopped solid. Frozen.

 _I can't move_. The realization was alarming. He couldn't move. Anything. Not even his eyes, not even his eyeballs – his entire body became restricting, like a cage.

"Weak." The figure spoke, and Issei could do nothing but endure as a punch connected deep with his stomach and sent him to the ground. It burned, it burned and he couldn't even cradle the stomach in an attempt to dull the pain. He couldn't even involuntarily recoil to the damage.

He landed in the pool of blood on the floor, his gaze fixed upwards, unable to move down. He was paralyzed, frozen in place –

"This is because you are weak. Too weak to do anything. And for that reason –"

His mother knelt on his chest, and he was confused. What was she doing? Why was she –

No, the man was _forcing_ her to kneel on his chest – overpowering her, grabbing her by her hair –

And –

And –

 _No._

His eyes would have widened in horror if they could.

 _No._

His voice would have roared out in protest if it could.

 _No._

 _No –_

 _No –_

 _Ka-chan!_

 _What are you doing?!_

 _Why?!_

 _WHY?!_

"I'll be sure to make her pregnant and give you a little sister. And then, she can join in on the fun."

 _RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA –_

His hand – his hand was burning – it was overfilling itself with power –

It was –

He was –

A gauntlet – why – how –

But – but – with this –

With this power –

 _HE COULD FIGH –_

" **RII!** "

 _Cold. Cold. Cold._

" **VAAZ!** "

 _Pain. Pain. So much pain._

Agony – burning – burning agony –

Something was being _torn_ from him – _ripped_ out of him –

" **ZOL.** "

His world went blank.

* * *

XXXXXX

* * *

In Anime and popular media, torture was always the great fucking key to unlocking hidden powers and becoming more badass. Of course, I doubted this actually fucking worked in real life, and more likely, torture would only leave you fucked up beyond all repair, and with extreme amounts of PTSD afterwards.

But hey – there are dragons in this world, so, let's roll with it!

At least I didn't peel off his nails and shove a centipede down his ear while making him do math –

All I needed to do was to make him think I was raping his mother on top of him whilst he lay in the blood of his dead father. Not _too_ extreme all things considered – considering I could have cucked him by sleeping with "Yuuma Amano" like this was a shitty third-tier hentai.

It took a while for him to break and for the familiar gauntlet to appear – and I didn't hesitate before using the **[Soul Tear** ] shout.

The effects?

The wispy, spectral, undying soul of Hyoudou Issei floated in front of me, hovering, staring in abject horror and confusion, before an empty **Grand Soul Gem** popped from out of my inventory and into the air.

" _NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

Issei tried, _tried_ to flee from it – but he couldn't – and he could only let out a ghastly wail before his soul rushed straight into the object, and it fell to the ground, sizzling.

 **Soul Captured!**

I turned my attention to another soul, one which swirled with burning red energy and power, overwhelming and completely outshining the entire room, before rushing towards me and filling me with a certain sense of… _accomplishment._ A sense of…

 _Power._

 **Dragon Soul Absorbed!**

 _Ha –_

 _Hahaha –_

 _HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!_


	6. Mind and Soul

**P.S. - This story being tagged "Horror" is not meant to be ironic.**

* * *

 **Hyoudou Residence**

It wasn't my Vampiric senses.

It wasn't my Dragonborn Soul.

It was me.

Me.

 _THIS IS ME MOTHERFUCKER!_

The person I fucking was, or, more accurately, the person I had fucking _become_ , upon slapping on the skin and veneer of my Skyrim Character.

This person allowed me to laugh like a motherfucking maniac as I felt the soul of Ddraig rush into my body. I stood, triumphant, over the corpse of a middle-aged man, his zombie-son, and his confused, terrified wife.

"HAHAHAHAHA! FUCK! THIS – THIS – THIS _FEELING!_ "

Adrenaline. It pumped through my veins like I'd been given the ichor of the gods in a rushed transfusion. Considering I'd just also absorbed the soul of a _bloody_ dragon – I supposed it was to be expected.

It hit me as to why I was fucking okay with this.

It clicked as to why the scene in front of me was making me excited. All I had to do was ask one rather fucking obvious question:

 _How had I gotten most of my Daedric Artefacts?_

The **Mace of Molag Bal**?

I beat into submission a hapless priest until he died, was brought back, and died again, until his will was broken enough to submit to an eternity under the Daedric Prince. It was probably a hundred times worse in universe, I mean, _fuck_ , I _beat_ a guy to _death_ , and did it for a _weapon._

 **Mehrunes Dagger**?

I killed the fucker who requested of me to help him find and put together the pieces, and then took the blade as a trophy. The lighter example here, but the sheer realization that I wouldn't even have _known_ about the dagger if not for him, yet, turned around and killed him to get it – that said a whole fucking lot about me.

Let's not even go mentioning **Namira's Ring** and the **Ebony Blade**.

Hah. _Hah_.

But hey, it was all in a fucking videogame, and you know, I'd never actually do that type of shit in real life. That'd be like saying that anyone who ever played _Grand Theft Auto_ would really go about fucking hookers and then running them over once they were done. That'd just be obviously fucking stupid – and people didn't have the mindsets of their fucking videogame characters.

Not every nerd who played _Max Payne 3_ would wake up a bitter, cynical alcoholic with a penchant to abuse painkillers, and not every shy girl who played _Tomb Raider_ would suddenly become a capable survivalist badass. At the same time however, none of these people had actually been _put_ in the body of those characters before. Not just being put into the _body_ of these characters, but being given the _brains_ of these characters.

 _BUT I HAD!_

And I could feel it, the realization in my mind, telling me that slaughtering an innocent family for the _beaaaatiful_ power that was the **Boosted Gear** was _perfectly fucking acceptable!_ It didn't even rank among the top hundred list of bad things I'd done as **Ragnar Lothbrok**. Hell-fucking-no – it didn't even rank the top _one-thousand._

Why?

Because _I was in the body and mind of a person who slaughtered everyone in Skyrim._

It was like waking up as Trevor- _fucking_ -Phillips. Good fucking luck trying to be a decent person.

Other than an odd 'tingle' in my gut that was most likely the last remnant of my moral compass, I felt _perfectly fucking vindicated_ at the sight of Issei's soul, trapped, and begging and banging for release, within the **Grand Soul Gem**.

I'd just taken someone's soul and imprisoned it – _potentially_ – for all eternity, and I wasn't even bothered. It felt no different from ordering a pizza with pepperonis to my doorstep. It _shouldn't_ – but it _did_. The people of Skyrim shrugged at the concept of enchanted weapons and the fact that _souls_ were used as _batteries_ was just another fact of life.

"Though… the fact that you're in a **Grand Soul Gem** instead of a **Black Soul Gem** … pft…" I resisted the urge to snicker. It would have been funnier if he'd been put into a **Petty Soul Gem** instead – but I suppose his soul wasn't worth _that_ little. Or at least, that was the explanation I was sticking with.

"I-I-Issei?"

Sanity seemed to return to Issei's mother, and she turned her gaze to me, eyes wide, before her attention turned to the scene, her hands covering her mouth as she looked over the bloodied corpse of her husband, and the rising dead body of her son.

"N-n-no –" she whispered.

"Yes," I countered, before turning my attention to the pale-skinned, dull-eyed minion. Issei as a Zombie, was unsurprisingly dull to look at. I could feel a _link_ with him, in the same way I felt connected to my conjured familiars. For the most part, his skin was pale and chalky, his eyes glowed, and although he lacked sentience, he still stood upright and was capable of proper locomotive movements.

"Uhhhhh..." the Undead Issei groaned out, and I stared appreciatively at the impressive necromantic powers I possessed.

"Zombie Issei. Zombissei? Whatever –" I shook my head, before pointing at his mother. "Beat her until she loses consciousness."

The woman's eyes widened. She stared, confused, afraid, disbelieving, as her son moved forward, and stood over her, expressionless.

"I-I-Issei-kun?"

"Uhhhh!"

The first blow connected, and her scream echoed out into the room. Of course, I wasn't doing this for amusement. At least, not _entirely_ anyway. Rather, it was all part of my grand master plan to ensure that any sort of possible explanation she could give to the police would be rendered fucking irrelevant in light of the overwhelming evidence.

Whilst I _could_ kill her, it would only lead to an open investigation as to the death of the Hyoudou family. But, _leaving her alive_ –

I winced a bit as Zombie-Issei kicked his mother in the stomach.

Yeah – that was why I had her kill her husband.

Stabbed to death = crime of passion.

His dead skin cells on her nails = indicative of a fight.

Numerous bruises on her person = signs of assault.

It wouldn't take long for people to come to the natural assumption that she killed her son and husband in self-defense. Oh, she _could_ say that she didn't do that, and that a mysterious man had killed her son and husband and then brought back her son's corpse to beat her –

But all that would be dismissed as the delusional ramblings of a woman who could not come to terms with her crime, or, her trauma.

At best, she'd be sent to prison. At worst, she'd be sent to a psychiatric institution.

The perfect scapegoat.

"When you're sure she's unconscious," I spoke to Zombie-Issei "Put your dick in her mouth, make her bite it off, and then wrap her hands around your neck, and strangle yourself with then."

A dull "uhhh" of agreement was what I got in response, and I smiled.

"Oh – but don't forget to 'have fun' with her before that. Gotta make this look fucking convincing, don't we?"

I silently closed the door to the Hyoudou Bedroom, the sound of frantic, begging screams echoing behind me.

* * *

XXXXXX

* * *

 **Kuoh**

 **Abandoned Church Building**

"Who else have you told?"

The question and sharpness of his tone made Raynare instinctively stand at full attention. His gaze, landing on her form and navigating across her eyes sent a shudder down her spine. She knew there was nothing sexual or predatory about his gaze. Yet, that could not stop her instinctive response, one of the _original_ _Fallen_ was gazing upon her. _Her_. Many of their kind would kill for this moment.

"No one, Azazel-sama."

Azazel. Commander-General of the Grigori. Despite being several _hundreds of thousands_ if not _millions_ of years old, he appeared to be a slightly youthful young man in his mid-twenties. He possessed shaggy hair and a masculine beard, thick, delicious muscles that Raynare would have been salivating for had she not possessed more refined self-control than most. Her _contemporaries_ , failed laughably at this task, as Mittelt looked torn between creaming herself and lunging straight at their leader. Kalawarner's normally stony face was replaced with an expression that would not be out of place on a drunken schoolgirl with a crush. Even Dohnaseek was not immune to Azazel's allure, and the man did his best to avoid gazing straight into the eyes of _the one_.

Fallen Angels. Their very form and essence was synonymous with lust and desire. They were the rebels of the supernatural world. The deviants. In the pecking order of promiscuity, they were a step higher than devils, but below succubus and incubus. In terms of attractiveness, they rivaled the demons of sex, they rivaled lorelei, mermaids, sirens, and more. This was most commonly noticed with their female members, but, what was not commonly known was that their attractiveness was dependent entirely on their power and rank. The more power you had, and ergo, the more wings you held, the more your youth and aesthetic appeal shone. They were like peacocks in that sense, except, rather than the being with the most colorful feathers being the most attractive, the ones with the most wings and power were the most beautiful.

At the highest rank, Azazel was a god.

It didn't matter if the woman in question was a devout nun, a married woman, a paraplegic, or even someone who was biologically asexual. Upon gazing on his form, you _would_ be tempted. Male, female, _beast or child_ – all was irrelevant. Before _him_ , you were nothing but butter to be melted and molded as he saw fit.

"And you say, he did this by… _healing_ you?"

She shuddered at his voice. At his _touch_. Feeling soft fingers touching the new appendages she possessed, the extra pair of wings. Wings which were _sensitive_ , and made her bite her lip before immediately responding.

"Y-yes Azazel-sama."

She dared not look up. She knelt, bowing before the supreme one. She _dared_ not look up lest she say or do something stupid or foolish that would forever taunt and mock her as long as she lived. Lest she threw aside all inhibitions and practically begged the man to take her. Of course, that was a pipedream. She, Raynare, and most of the others in their species knew that Azazel had (mostly) given up his promiscuous ways. Now, he had eyes for only two things: tinkering with Sacred Gears, and the Seraph Gabriel.

Azazel believed he could tempt Gabriel to fall.

No one doubted him.

For such a reason, Michael had prohibited the meeting of Azazel with _any_ of the white-wings. Azazel could make _any_ angel fall, regardless of who they were. The only one who would be immune to Azazel's charm would perhaps be Michael himself.

"Curious. Simply… curious."

Raynare felt her cheeks warm at the praise.

"Does it not… bother you, Azazel-sama?"

"Bother me?" Azazel mused. "No, no. The exact opposite. This is the most exciting thing to have happened in so long –"

He was referring to her extra pair of wings. Her extra pair of _pristine_ wings. _White_ wings.

It was a baffling thing. White Wings were the hallmarks of _pure_ angels. Once you had fallen, you could not, _never_ , get back your white wings. You would remain a Fallen forever. Yet, in the span of one day, a mysterious being had come up and broken that rule asunder. He could _heal_ the taint inherent in the soul. The curse that prevented Fallen from returning to join their brethren in heaven. Such a thing was simply unheard of. Simply _inconceivable._

Merely remembering it, remembering that vampire, _Ragnar Lothrbrok_ , he called himself –

It send shudders down Raynare's spine, and not shudders of the pleasurable variety.

"I'm sure I don't need to tell you all that this is a big deal, and that you shouldn't mention this to your brethren." Azazel spoke, his voice serious. "For obvious reasons, the ability to heal the taint in a soul goes beyond any conventional method of healing we have seen in a long while. So, we're going to keep this to ourselves."

All the gathered Fallen nodded sharply.

"Azazel-sama, what do I do about my… wings…"

"Don't like the shine?"

Raynare grimaced slightly. "I – I prefer, my life as a Fallen. I do not wish, ever again, to become a lifeless tool bound in service and protection to humans."

Azazel let out something that sounded like a sigh. There was a significant amount of understanding in that sigh.

"I suppose it can't be helped. I'm not fond of the idea of ever becoming a pure angel again either." Azazel said. His lips then quirked. "If you want them to return to normal, you'll have to sleep with Kalawarner."

…

There was a long stretch of silence.

Raynare turned to stare at the woman, the woman in question turned to stare back at her.

" _What?"_ They spoke as one.

Azazel laughed. "Hahahaha! Look at you two, blushing so hard as though you've never contemplated the idea before."

Raynare fought hard to hide the redness of her face, whilst Kalawarner shamelessly was agreeing to it. Fool, Raynare thought. Even if Azazel-sama had said she would love to bend over and do at it with a goat, Kalawarner would have agreed without question.

"Ah, forgive me, Azazel-sama – but why do I have to do such a thing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he spoke casually. "Even if the taint in a fallen angel's soul can be healed, it can also be returned. Pure angels cannot have sex without Falling, so doing something that is considered as a 'sin' in the scriptures will be enough to turn your wings back to a nice healthy black."

And in this case, the 'sin' was sleeping with a fellow woman – homosexual relations – which was a big no-no in the Lord's eyes. Raynare almost snorted at the prudishness of their 'father' and the fickleness of what was considered 'pure' in his sight.

"Still… I never expected this," Azazel muttered under his breath "A Vampire with immense mastery of fire and the ability to heal not only physical wounds, but 'wounds' engraved unto the very soul? It doesn't match any myth or legend I have ever heard of before – nor does it match any recorded Sacred Gears… it's a mystery, and I don't like mysteries."

"He said he could be found… at a place called the **Dead Man's Drink**." Raynare supplied.

"A bar?" Azazel asked. "He can be found… at a bar? Must be a man after my own heart."

Raynare could tell that the leader of her species was planning something. He had that smile, that dangerous smirk which had toppled empires and brought about uprisings. A smirk that he had possessed across years, watching as civilizations and dynasties rose and fall.

"So which one of my subordinates would like to join me for a drink?"

* * *

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **Kuoh Academy**

 **11:43 AM**

School was awkward for Aika Kiryu.

Everyone could feel the elephant in the room, but no one wanted to be the one to point out its overwhelming presence. The teachers seemed intent on pretending as though nothing was wrong, even though half of his entire class had chosen to stray as far away from the one empty seat in their presence.

Everyone was muted, quiet, especially in lieu of the circumstances. It wasn't a respectful silence, it wasn't even a solemn silence, but it was one that no one could break because no one knew how to break it. No one, except for two people, of course, who swore, up and down, left and right, about the reason for their silence, but at the same time, no one seemed to intent on listening to them.

"I'm telling you! There's no way – I mean –"

"Shut it!" Katase yelled. "You could be like him for all we know! Both of you!"

The accusation was a heavy one. It wasn't like the times when they'd be caught peeping, or the times where calling them perverts was just stating out a fact, now, it was different. The gravity of the situation weighed on everyone's soldiers.

"How – how dare you –" Motohama spoke. "We wouldn't – I wouldn't –"

"Wouldn't rape your own mother?"

The entire class fell silent. The elephant was ungraciously announced.

"We don't know he did that!" Matsuda argued. "Issei wouldn't do that!"

No matter how much Matsuda and Motohama seemed to come to the defense of their friend, it felt for naught. Aika could only stare on with the rest, uncertain of that fact, because not even Matsuda seemed to believe it. No matter how much he roared it out, his expression, his face, twisting in pain, seemed to be conflicted on it as much as the next person.

If his own best friends weren't absolutely certain, weren't absolutely sure, why should she? Why should anyone believe them? Aika kept her thoughts to herself as she watched the unfolding tension.

"You say that, but you three – you little creeps always go about peeping on girls and talking about porn – you've probably jerked yourselves off to the thought of half the girls in this school –" Katase responded, shuddering in disgust "The way you look at me and roam at me with your eyes. It makes me _sick._ I want to _vomit_ , at the sight of the likes of you. Issei was just the first among you to show his true colors –"

"Don't you dare –"

"His own _mother?_ How _sick_ do you have to be –"

"SHUT UP!" Matsuda yelled.

Aika, and the rest of the class, watched, transfixed, as Matsuda of the Peverted Trio lost his temper, and snarled at Katase. He grabbed the girl by the arm, yelling into her face.

"ISSEI WOULDN'T! YOU HEAR ME?! HE WOULDN'T –"

"L-let go –"

"He wouldn't! He – he had a girlfriend! That lucky bastard got a girlfriend, so – so –"

"You're hurting me!" Katase cried "Let go! P-please let go!"

"Matsuda! Let her go!"

"He – he – wouldn't…"

"Matsuda!"

"Shut up Motohama!" Matsuda _roared_. "I'm not going to sit back and listen to people insult my friend! He was a lucky bastard, an annoying bastard, BUT HE WAS MY FRIEND!" Matsuda panted, gritting his teeth. "HE WAS MY FRIEND! And he's _dead!_ And I'm not going to let anyone talk shit about him – you hear me?! I'm NOT!"

"Matsuda! You're scaring her!"

The words brought him to a pause. A hard-reboot. He realized, truly, Katase looked upon him with a frightened gaze, his refusal to let her go being enough to make the girl appear small and timid. A deep contrast to the person who often looked down at him with a snobby air and demeanor.

And it wasn't just her.

The mixed gazes of fear and apprehension slammed into his gut like a sledgehammer.

Aika stood up, moving to separate Katase from him, watching as the boy recoiled back as though he'd been burned at the sight of the stern glare she gave him.

"A-Aika… you believe me right? Issei would never –"

"You need to leave."

Matsuda flinched.

"Both of you. Please, leave."

With thick, heavy silence, the last two living members of the perverted trio grit their teeth, hung their heads, and departed from their classroom. Although no one said it, they all knew, somehow, that they would not come back.

* * *

XXXXXXX

* * *

 **Occult Research Club**

 **1:01 PM**

A newspaper slammed on the coffee table, followed by a loud grunt of annoyance melded with irritation.

"We need to find him." Sona Sitri said, no preamble. "The damage has been done, albeit controlled to local news. It would have reflected badly on Kuoh Academy's image otherwise, and bring unnecessary amount of scrutiny. Regardless, the entire school is aware of what happened, and it has put the entire student body on edge."

Across from Sona, her friend and rival sat, her eyes narrowed as she picked up the newspaper and read its contents. Standing behind her, her rival's queen examined the paper with equal scrutiny. They were the only three people in the room, Sona noted.

"Ara ara, that's quite morbid."

Her friend and rival, with long red locks of hair sat, cross-legged, as her lips thinned slightly and her countenance changed upon reading the paper. Sona knew why. She knew the plans that her friend had put in place, considering the speculation of the fact that Hyoudou Issei was supposed to possess a dragon-inclined Sacred Gear. She knew, that Rias possessed her sights on the boy, and now, the boy was no longer a viable candidate for her peerage. His body was too badly mangled, it had been far too long since it had cooled, and worst of all, the overwhelming amount of proof as to the nature of the crime the boy had committed.

They were devils of course, and things such as these were not supposed to be news to them. Except, Sona knew, that her friend and the Gremory family in general had a certain reputation as being the 'nice' 'kind' and 'family-oriented' sort of individuals. No doubt, if Hyoudou Issei was the type of person to be overwhelmed enough by lust to go after his mother, there was no doubt that he would have gone after her 'family'.

The very thought that she almost put someone like that in her peerage must no doubt have been irked her.

Of course, it was an unexpected event, all things considering. She'd been sowing the seeds of the boy and keeping an eye over him ever since that Fallen Angel approached him and asked him out. Most likely, the Fallen's plan had been to kill him, a set-up which would have enabled her friend to revive him at a token price. Who would, or could, possibly anticipate the boy being killed _by his own mother_ , before then?

"Rias." Sona spoke. "Hyoudou's fate aside, we have more pressing issues to deal with."

Her friend, Rias Gremory, frowned. "Do we?"

"The half-naked policeman." Sona began, raising one finger. "The unexplained attack on the church." Another one. "And now, the Hyoudou-family incident."

"You feel they are related?"

"Once is circumstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action." Sona stated. "There is something or _someone_ , moving and operating behind the scenes in Kuoh. I have a feeling he might be behind the Hyoudou-incident as well, but there is no way to prove it. There was surprisingly very little magical presence at the scene of the crime."

"I'm a bit preoccupied with something more important than chasing after ghosts right now Sona."

Sona Sitri rose an eyebrow, noting her friend's unusual level of irritation.

"I do not see how Raiser Phenex is more important than the possibility of an unknown agent making moves against us."

Rias turned to give her a glare. "You're not the one who has to _marry_ him."

"No I am not." She replied succinctly. "Because I have already made my boundaries and established them. I refuse to marry a person who is my intellectual inferior, and until my parents surpass that hurdle, I have no fear of betrothals."

The not-so-subtle recommendation was insinuated. _Where are your own established boundaries?_

Rather than answer the question, which she couldn't, Rias changed it entirely. "What makes you feel this person is a threat?"

"You mean other than the unnatural feeling, the sheer magical presence that easily reaches that of a High-Class Devil, and the fact that he utterly demolished and massacred the Fallen Angels and Exorcists taking up residence in the old church?"

"I _mean_ , what makes you feel that this person is a threat, _to us_."

Sona blinked. Then, she scowled.

"Rias, you cannot possibly be considering recruiting this person into your peerage –"

"You said it yourself. A magical presence that is close to that of a high-class devil. Don't you feel it's worth considering?"

"It is." Sona admitted. "More accurately, it _was_. However, the statistical probability of controlling a being of that much power and expecting any sort of subservience is _incredibly_ low."

"You and your _statistics_."

"Rias, I am serious."

"So am I."

Sona resisted the urge to grind her teeth. "This is not the same as recruiting orphans or picking up emotionally scarred children."

The room chilled a little bit. Akeno's 'smile' became a little bit strained, and Rias' lips thinned.

"Sona, you know I don't like it when you insult my peerage."

"And you know I do not appreciate it when plainly stated facts are considered as insults." Sona countered. "Or should we perhaps ignore the oddity of the nature in which you acquired every member of your peerage? Or do I pretend that your brother, Sirzechs-sama, did not have a hand in granting you with the talented individuals you now possess?"

"Ara ara, Kaicho," Akeno spoke up, her voice unusually calm. "Is that a hint of envy I detect in your voice?"

"Of course." Sona said bluntly. "Only a person incapable of appreciating talent would lack envy at seeing Rias' peerage. All of you are remarkable, and the potential for growth is equally immense. Which is why it irks me that Rias has taken an incredibly lax approach that borders on boundless laziness for your training."

Rias blinked, before pouting. "I'm not lazy."

Sona sighed. "The tea-party when we were eight."

"That was one –"

"The essays on the Salem Witch Trials."

"Just two –"

"The project on the Great War. The holiday vacation we were _supposed_ to spend in the Amazon. The time you forgot Lucifer-sama's birthday. The time you did not show up for _my_ birthday. The time you attempted to learn ballet, but gave up because you felt it was too much work. Or baking. Or bicycle riding. Or singing. Or mounting climbing, hiking, painting –"

With each item she listed, Sona watched as her friend's cheeks considerably reddened and her attempt at maintaining any semblance of being a dignified heiress faded with each one.

"Perhaps, the most egregious example, is your arranged marriage with Raiser." Sona said. "You've known about this contract since we were _twelve_. Yet, you have decided to do something about it, _four weeks_ to the wedding day. Your penchant for procrastination has lasted how many years exactly?"

Sona was particularly peeved about that last one. You would _think_ , considering what Raiser was like, that Rias would at the very least not want to spend the rest of her life moaning under him. At least, she would _try_ to do something to end the marriage contract, much, much earlier.

But no –

She ignored it for _years_ , and was only now trying to think up ways to escape from it.

"W-well – I was… busy." She finished lamely.

"Busy buying collector editions action figures of manga, and playing every eroge to have been released from this country, no doubt."

Cue awkward cough from the flustered girl in question. Sona only shook her head at that.

"We could have gone to any other country in the world, any high-class institution, perhaps preferably in England, Norway or Australia. I myself would have preferred Scandinavia, Canada or Iceland. However, we are in _Japan_ , because _you_ love anime, and Lucifer-sama wanted _you_ to have access to as much of it as you can."

"Are you _really_ going to pull that card, Miss My-Older-Sister-Is-A-Magical-Girl?"

Sona couldn't help the heat that rushed to her face. "We are _not_ talking about her."

It was _hard_ to argue or maintain a logical point when someone reminded you that your elder sister, arguably the most powerful female devil in the world, was often revealed in provocative clothing and sexually 'assaulted' by tentacles and all sorts of monsters on a daily basis, for the amusement and enjoyment of the masses. Not to mention the realization that there were hundreds of thousands of growing male devils who had used her sister's face as a masturbatory aid at one point or another.

"You're still _too_ easy to tease Sona."

"D-don't think you can change the topic that easily!" Sona stammered. "Rias, you _need_ to focus on this issue. I understand that as devils we will most likely live to several hundred thousand years and can never die of old age – but that is not necessarily enough reason to live as frivolously and carelessly as you do."

"Isn't it the _perfect reason_ to do so?" Rias argued. "To live in the moment, and cherish what I have in front of me, now. Sona – when was the last time you actually did something you _enjoyed_ doing? Or the last time you did something because you _felt like it?_ "

They'd had this dance numerous times. Too many times to count. Rias was a free-soul, an individual rare amongst their kind. She wanted to simply live as she did, as she wanted, unobstructed, unbothered, and she wanted others to have that same sense of _living_ that she did. She wanted to spend her time in bliss and enjoyment. She wanted to absolve herself of all responsibilities and merely flow along the river of life, peacefully accepting the tides and currents as it dragged her along.

In contrast, Sona was the opposite. She wanted to _make_ something out of her life. She did not want to move with the tides, no matter how soothing they may be. No, she would carve herself an anchor out of rock and sink to the bottom if it meant getting her way.

They were both spoiled rotten in this way, Sona knew. Rias lived a life lavished by her older brother who provided anything and everything she demanded of her, and would go above and beyond for her. There was a point Sona had genuinely been worried that Lucifer-sama saw Rias in a sexual-light simply due to the sheer amount of rules and laws he was willing to bend and break just to guarantee her happiness. A part of her felt that there was no way it could be pure familial love that drove Sirzechs Lucifer to such extremes. But, that part of her had not understood what it entailed to be a Gremory – to be absolutely possessive, incredibly childish and downright terrifying at the same time.

However, Sona would admit that she possessed her own flaws as much as Rias did. She had been given too much responsibilities and liberties. No one had treated her like a child since she was old enough to receive sexual advances, at age seven, and hence, she grew in that manner. Her older sister was childish, but at the same time, somehow granted Sona her desires and treated her like an adult instead of a child. She could not remember what it was like to be carefree and to lack responsibility, to not have a firm control over the situation and to have something that was out of her abilities to govern or own. She became the Student Council President out of that need to _control_ , _organize_ , and her own whimsical desires to always bring about order and stability. Traits she felt were the hallmark of the adult.

She saw Rias' lifestyle as one that was chaotic, without order or form, like a ship with a thousand captains, each one barking orders, whilst the parrot and first mate made love in the cellars.

Rias saw her lifestyle as a caged bird forced to stamp an unending stream of paperwork, punching cards at the end of each workday, and singing in an entirely monotone voice the same tireless song.

It was the reason they were rivals.

It was a wonder as to how they were friends.

"Getting back to the matter at hand," Sona said. "I have my familiars and my peerage scouring for the Foreigner. Whilst I hope for a peaceful first contact – I do not necessarily feel that it might be the case."

Rias sighed. "I suppose I'll have to search as well. Koneko-chan should be able to sniff out anything unusual if she goes patrolling."

"Alone?"

"She can handle herself fine. Neither Akeno, Kiba, nor myself are suited for doing things covertly you know."

Sona swore that Rias' large breasts _bounced_ in response to that, and the smirk that her friend gave her only seemed to highlight it. Sona _slowly_ adjusted her glasses.

"You did that on purpose."

Another _bounce_.

"I don't know what you mean."

Sona resisted the urge to say something snappy. Rias was baiting her, and they both knew it. Whereas she would arguably remain Rias' intellectual superior, and Rias would never be capable of out-debating her in an argument, there were ways that Rias won.

For instance, leaning back, exposing a bit more of her _far_ richer thighs, and well-developed chest area with a casual flick of her _long_ hair.

Sona would not hesitate admitting envy to Rias about her clearly superior and exceptional peerage. But she would be damned if she admitted that she was envious about Rias' appearance. Even though they both knew it, Sona wasn't going to _admit_ it.

No. She was not going to admit it in the slightest.

"Rias, you –"

 **DOV.**

The eyes of everyone in the room went wide at the sudden _surge_ of overwhelming magical power and weight that dropped on their shoulders. Sona's body felt weak, as though gravity had intensified a few hundred times, and she stared in fascinated horror as her lenses shattered from the ambient power in the air. Potent. _Potent_. Powerful – far _far_ more powerful than anything she had ever felt before. The sheer ludicrousness of it all was the fact that the power was emanating from _somewhere_ in Kuoh, but she couldn't find it. It was as futile as attempting to find a leak in a half-submerged ship.

She dropped to her knees, momentarily – and she realized that the sheer pressure was too much for her to withstand.

Then, all at once, the pressure vanished.

Simultaneously, the sound of numerous people gasping for breath hit her ears, and she turned her gaze sharply to her friend, who seemed to be in the midst of catching her breath.

"Do you still think Raiser Phenex is more important?"

* * *

XXXXX

* * *

 **Dead Man's Drink**

 **Earlier that Day…**

After leaving the Hyoudou Residence, I'd returned home feeling perkier than I felt was normal. Thankfully, my lovely conjured minions kept the exorcists in check, preventing them from running away or escaping after they'd all woken up.

I was feeling _fucking_ great on the other hand.

Fuck! I'd just killed Issei, and framed his mother up for the crime – and the adrenaline was still pumping from the fact that I'd gotten away with it. Oh, and of course, the adrenaline was still pumping from the fact that I'd absorbed Ddraig's soul as well – couldn't forget that.

The only problem?

I didn't have much of an idea as to how I'd go about using Ddraig's powers.

Ddraig and by extension, the Boosted Gear, had a list of abilities which included: Power Multiplication. Power Transference. Penetrate all forms of Defenses. And of course, burning hot flames which could not be put out and could supposedly burn the soul of a God.

Accessing these powers on the other hand… well, I didn't know. My best bet would be to try a shout, but _what_ shout? The Thu'um was powerful, and I knew I could make my own shouts with it, but… _how?_

The fact that I'd finally gained Ddraig's Soul but didn't know how to use it irked me. Like fuck, I knew there was no manual for this and all… but it shouldn't be _that_ hard to access, should it?

[ **No. It should not**.]

I blinked.

 _What the fuck?!_

[ **In all the years I've been alive, I've never seen a case like this. Never had a partner like you.** ]

I grit my teeth.

"Ddraig."

[ **You can speak in your head. No one else can hear you but me anyway.** ]

" _How the fucking hell are you alive? I absorbed your soul!_ "

[ **You did.** ] Ddraig admitted. **[Had I been any other dragon, that would have been the end of me. All that I am and all that I've seen – vanished and subsumed under you.** ]

I rose an eyebrow at that.

 **[But I am not any other dragon. I am the Red Dragon Emperor. The only Dragon with the ability to amplify my powers. And amplify, I did.** ]

"You… you amplified the power of your _soul?_ "

 _What the fuck? Was that even possible?_

 **[Hah! So you're not just crazy, you're also quick on the update. I like that.** ] Ddraig said. **[There are hundreds, no…** _ **thousands**_ **, of different souls swirling inside you. All the souls of Dragons, dragons I do not know and have never heard about. I would have become another one, had I not used my power to Boost my consciousness enough to be capable of communicating with you. Unfortunately – it seems that's the most I can do.** ]

I mulled over this information quietly.

 **[But, partner, do you mind me asking…** _ **what are you?**_ **]** Ddraig spoke. **[To have that many souls inside you. You've killed more dragons than there should be dragons alive. It feels as though your very existence was made for just the purpose of slaying dragons. It… terrifies me.** ]

I blinked. "You… don't know?"

 **[Don't know what?** ]

"Skyrim." I tested. "Does that word mean anything to you?"

 **[Should it?** ]

I almost let out a sigh of relief.

"You can't see my memories, can you?"

 **[No. I barely have enough strength to communicate with you. Looking into your memories is… difficult. It's obscured, confused, disjointed. Almost as though you have two personalities and two lives – I can't make sense of it. Even if I were to be at full power, I still wouldn't be capable of understanding it.]**

Good. Good – there was no way I was going to let Ddraig see into my memories and have to explain that shit -

 **[Hah. I feel my soul being drained away. I suppose I do not have much longer.]**

I blinked at that information. "You're going to… fade away?"

 **[No. I'm going to become** _ **you**_ **.** ]

"…what?"

 **[You've absorbed my soul. That means absorbing all that I am and all that I have been. My memories, my knowledge, my experiences, everything that made me who I am, all of it, will become a part of you. All of it, will become, in essence…** _ **you**_ **.]**

… I hadn't thought about it that way before. Shit, but – but that wasn't how things worked in Skyrim… was it?

I mean, you Absorbed Dragon Souls, and then you used the Soul to learn new Shouts –

…but, wait a minute. Did that essentially mean, each time I learned a new Shout, I was using the knowledge and experience of the Dragon I slayed to be able to do so? So… I was, technically, gaining the experience and knowledge of a Word of Power from the soul of a Dragon who could use it –

I shook my head at this information. Shit, all of this was slightly more complicated than I thought.

"You know, you don't sound too pissed off about all this."

A loud laugh echoed inside my head. **[And why would I be?]** Ddraig said. **[I'm immortal. Unaging. Unchanging. For years I've been embroiled in a never-ending conflict with my rival Albion, for a reason we don't even remember. I've fought with both Yahweh and Lucifer – and I've had my fair share of conquering, devouring, destroying, and existing. Living by proxy through hosts is not the sort of existence I desire for all eternity.]**

"But… you'll be _gone_. For all _eternity_."

 **[No.]** Ddraig corrected. **[I'll be** _ **you**_ **. A new form of existence. Reincarnation, as it were. I will not cease to exist, nor will I fade into nothingness – all that I am, I, Ddraig, will become** _ **you**_ **. A man, who, I believe, has no plans of** _ **going gently into that good night**_ **.]**

I couldn't help it. My lips curled into a smile.

 **[Through you, my legacy continues. Conquer. Fight. Sow chaos or deliver paradise. It matters little whether you succeed or fail – you are the successor of the Red Dragon Emperor. You are the one who carries the soul of Y Ddraig Goch. And for that, your existence will be remembered.** ]

His voice, slowly, gingerly, began to fade.

[ **The Red Dragon Emperor has not died.** ]

The voice whispered.

[He has been reborn.]

 **New Power Added.**

 **New Power Added.**

 **Word of Power Learned –**

 **Word of Power Learned –**

 **Word of Power Learned –**

 **New Shout Acquired.**

The words, unbidden, came forth from my mouth.

" **MUL.** "

The room shook.

" **NAHL.** "

The ground shook.

" **DOV.** "

The _world,_ shook.


	7. Shouting Doesn't Win Favors

**Came down with a bad, bad sickness for a while. But, hey, I'm STILL HERE MOTHERFUCKERS! WHOO! Fuck you micro-organisms, fuck you bacteria, fuck you hospitals, fuck you shitty-ass nurses who only act kind if your patient has a fat dick! Fuck YOU!**

 **Rant over.**

 **Wrote parts of this while I was hopped up on morphine (you don't wanna know) - so apologies for any shit that I might have forgotten to go back and edit.**

* * *

"Youth is fleeting. Life has no inherent meaning, and nothing ever truly matters."

"Dude, if you get any edgier, people are going to start using you to cut their vegetables."

I rolled my eyes, tossing a light glare over my shoulder. "So punny. So very punny."

Marcus shrugged. "Hey, just so long as I don't have to hear you talk about how 'meaning has no meaning' I'm good."

"Is that a Rick and Morty reference?" I asked.

"Nah. Gravity Falls."

I rose an eyebrow. "Bill Cipher?"

He nodded. "Bill Cipher."

I chuckled. "Who ever knew that a triangle and an eyeball could be so fucking terrifying?"

"The illuminati?"

"…point."

I reached out to the device, taking a few short puffs, before coughing out, ignoring the slight smoke in my lungs.

"You know," I said, dryly. "What would you do if you had that much power?"

"What, the power to turn people's faces inside out if they piss me off?"

I grinned. "Yeah. That, and others."

He shrugged. "Probably do something bad I guess. Not take shit from anyone, take anything I wanted – live the fucking life. Hell – if you gave ultimate power to anyone, I don't think the first thing that'd cross their minds would be to start searching for the cure to cancer, or world peace."

I turned to stare at him. "Man, but isn't that just so fucking… selfish?"

"Hey, we're only human. We _have_ to be selfish. Maslow's hierarchy of needs and all that shit. If you didn't have a shirt on your back and a roof over your head, are you really gonna think about getting a girlfriend?"

"Well no, not unless she has fetishes for homeless bums."

"Exactly. Priorities. Prioritizing." Marcus said. "So… if I _did_ somehow get superpowers, I'd probably use it to get everything I ever wanted. Then, when I was done with that – I guess I _could_ use it to make people's lives better. Or worse – kinda depends on whether or not they deserve it."

"And who deserves it?"

"Well, people that got a shitty hand in life. I can't help _everyone_ that got a shitty hand, but people I can _see_ who got one. I'd help them out, make things less shitty. But people who are genuine assholes – yeah, I'd mess with them."

"…but, _we're_ assholes."

"No Seth, we're _arseholes_. There's a difference."

"I can't tell if it's you or the weed talking."

Marcus laughed. "Sure – blame it on the weed."

"Hey, Marcus?"

"Yeah, Seth?"

"I love you bro."

"Dude, that's fucking gay. You gotta add 'no homo' or it's gay."

"Shit. Forgot. No homo."

"Whatever. Get your pasty ass outta my house before your sister comes crashing in."

I blinked. "Your house? Wait, I thought we were at the college… dorms… how did I get…?"

"Probably cause you're in a dream. That shit tends to make stuff confusing. Think Inception, but trippier."

"…is that a word?"

"Hey, it's your fucking dream pal. Don't ask me."

I laughed. "I'm _pretty_ fucking sure I'd know if I was drea–"

 _BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!_

* * *

XXXXXXX

* * *

…what… the fuck?

I groaned, touching the side of my head and cursing as loudly as I could from feeling a _major_ fucking headache, and that wasn't even the least of my problems – I could feel a slight irritating sting on my chest, one that certainly hadn't been there before.

I looked down, only for my eyes to squeeze slightly as I stared at something that seemed to be imbedded in my chest. I moved to reach for it, grabbing it, and distinctly realizing it was _warm_ to the touch.

"…are these… _bullets?_ "

 _What the hell?!_

My eyes immediately gazed upwards trying to understand where I was and how I'd gotten here. Why did I feel so muscular? Why was the weather so much colder? This room – why did it look familiar, yet… _not_ –

Oh, yeah – I'd had that weird dream about waking up as a Skyrim Character in the High School DxD verse and I'd decided to kill Issei and absorb Ddraig.

A loud snort escaped my lips. Fuck – that had to be one of the craziest dreams I've ever –

"I think he might be awake. What do we do? What do we do?"

"We need to kill him _now_!"

"We already _tried!_ The stake didn't work, and the holy bullets didn't even _pierce_ his skin!"

 _Nani the fuck?!_

I leapt to my feet, only to suddenly find my head smashing into the roof from the action, and myself falling back down on the bed, disorientated. I blinked away the confusion, and tried to roll off the bed – and I found myself slamming into the side of the wall instead.

 _Okay – what the everloving fuck is going on here? My body – it feels – it feels light –_

Memories unbidden came to the forefront of my vision, and, like remembering to ride a bicycle after years and years of being a couch potato, I regained control, gently, gingerly, disconnecting from the wall and moving lightly on my feet. I rubbed my nose, as more and more memories began streaming through my mind –

 _These… aren't my memories?_

I shook them off, even as I remembered being a pirate, a king, a traitor, a redcoat, a samurai, an assassin – as memories upon memories of watching the adventures of 'my' hosts filtered through my vision. I cursed, grabbing the side of my head as the memories threatened to overwhelm me – the memories – they –

"We should've run while we had the chance!"

"Are you joking? We're in the hands of the _Red Dragon Emperor_ – and he's a god-forsaken _vampire_. If we ran – he'd come after us, and then, maybe he'd _kill us_ instead of just _using us_."

It occurred to me, that I could hear the conversation _acutely_ , as though they were standing right in front of me instead of being downstairs, and below me. The walls were _thick_ , yet, I could hear their conversation without strain.

 _Enhanced hearing?_

When I actively _tried_ , I could hear much more, the beating of their hearts, the rush of blood flowing through their veins, the tiny sounds made by the wrinkling and rustling of clothes and micro-movements such as finger twitches, taps or scratches.

I focused outwards, and my hearing could pick up the sound of birds gargling water, the arguments of a married couple, the humming of a young child, the rapid footsteps of people moving in traffic –

I focused my hearing back to the house, focusing on the heartbeats. Two, no, _three._ The third heartbeat was slower, almost as if – unconscious? Asleep?

 _Fucking hell – enhanced hearing? When did I get enhanced hearing?_

"If we'd gone before he woke up – fly out of the country –"

"What part of, _Red Dragon Emperor_ don't you get? We're _exorcists_ , low-level minions – we _can't_ escape from him. Raynare, that _bitch_ , couldn't escape from him if she tried. At worst, we'd piss him off and make him be rougher on us –"

"How can you accept this so casually?! Don't you know what he's going to do to us?"

"Like it isn't something Dohnaseek-sama or Mittelt-sama have done before. We're humans – they're _monsters_. This is how it works. You please them long enough, and _maybe_ they decide they're bored with you and move on to something better. If not, you die, and considering all we've done, that means going to hell." I heard. "So, it's between an unescapable lake of eternal fire, or a few years of being fucked like a toy. Which sounds like the better bargain here?"

"We – we wouldn't go to hell. I mean – we've… we've been doing good work right? Michael-sama and the other angels, they'd give us a pass… won't they?"

A snort. "You're an idiot if you believe rogue exorcists 'get a pass.'"

Nervous biting of the fingers. Hard biting of the lips. "When he wakes up, he's going to know we tried to kill him."

"Tried and failed."

"What if he kills us for it?"

"Then let's pray they throw amazing welcome parties in hell."

"How are you _so calm?!_ "

 _How indeed?_ I wondered to myself as well.

"Because I knew what I signed up for when I became an exorcist."

I chose that moment to descend down the stairs, with purposefully long, hard steps. Each one enough to reverberate to my eardrums like a thunderclap, and making it abundantly clear that someone was coming down the steps.

Upon getting to the bar, I spotted them. The two exorcists. One was standing as tall as she could, despite how badly her legs shook and shuddered to tell how frightened she was. The other, unfortunately, was a whimpering sack that hid behind the first. There was a third exorcist, on the floor, apparently unconscious. I wondered what the story was behind that one.

My gaze flickered across the entire room, and something struck me as odd.

 _Where's Sana?_

"How long?"

"A-a-ah?" the first exorcist stammered.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"T-t-three days." She answered.

 _Three days? What the fuck – did absorbing Ddraig really put me out cold for three whole days?_

"Go."

"A-a-ah?"

I rolled my eyes. "Did I stutter?"

"N-no s-sir."

"Go. Take your friend and leave. I have no real need of you."

They stared at me like I'd just told them to twerk for Queen Victoria.

"If I repeat myself one more time –"

I didn't need to. They scampered out as hastily and as blatantly as they could, grabbing their companion with some effort and making a rapid beeline for the door. Less than thirty seconds afterwards, I found myself standing alone in the **Dead Man's Drink**. I listened to their footsteps, realizing that the exorcists had gone a fair distance away before hijacking a car, and then making off with it, the squeal of the tires against the road echoing sharply in my ears as they drove like the black plague was on their heels.

I stopped 'focusing' my hearing on that, and instead, focused on other, distinct conversations around the city that I could hear.

"…she didn't!"

"Damn right she did! Went straight down her thro –"

I rolled my eyes. No, didn't need that. I searched harder, finding what I believed to be a news station.

" _And in recent news, repairs are still underway for the sudden tremors that shook the country three days ago, leaving the Yokohama Road closed to vehicles and pedestrians until further notice._ "

Wait…

 _Tremors_?

I took a deep breath.

My mind was calm, sharp, acute. There was bloodlust, but it was controlled. Honed. Like a blade. There was normal lust, but it was refined. There was something…

 _Off_.

I'd inherited Ddraig's soul. I expected to be _more_ volatile than I'd been before. More crazy, a bit more… _evil_. But...

Ddraig was a tranquil fire.

… How much of what I'd done was me, and how much of it was my videogame character messing with my head?

I disregarded the thoughts. For now, I'd focus on what was important, which was, currently, _figuring out what the hell has been happening_.

And… eavesdropping on all of Kuoh.

 _Sue me_.

* * *

XXXXXX

* * *

Cold, chilled breeze that indicated the slow coming of winter hit her legs and made her shudder slightly. Strange as it was, despite her personality, she was not all too fond of skirts. Of course, if she did have to wear them, she preferred them short enough to not obstruct her knees when walking, or, when she felt like it, when running.

This was one of those instances.

She sprinted down the road in a zigzag pattern, awkwardly dodging pedestrians in her hurried dash to make it to school.

"Hey! Watch it!"

"Sorry!"

They didn't recognize her uniform. Or, they didn't pay attention to it. She found it strange, how no one seemed to care or question the school where _he_ came from. No one seemed interested in investigating. Not a single reporter bothered one of them, cornered them, or questioned them about the incident.

Then again, considering the country-wide tremors that broke out on the same day, it could merely be that they forgot. Or, that they were busy with news regarding attempts to gain information about the sudden tremors that shook the country, and why the emergency alarms and smartphone notifications had not been triggered.

Her mind raced as did her body. She could not help it recently. The ongoing construction and repairs had delayed her making her take a longer route, and she labeled it as another hurdle tossed in the way of what was supposed to be a perfectly jolly high school life.

Unlike the other teenagers of Japan, who were cramming their lives out and stressed to hell and back with preparations for the Entrance Exams into the top tier universities of the country, she was lucky enough to attend Kuoh Academy, where, as long as her grades and GPA were high enough and consistent, she would immediately be granted admission into Kuoh University upon graduation.

Sure, the school was expensive. But, she reasoned and convinced her parents with reasons, that it would be worth it. She could get to live the normal teenage life without stress. She envisioned maybe turning down a few passionate requests and suitors, eventually participating in the fair, drama, joining a club and somehow becoming president of it – the complete high school package that could only be found in Shoujo Manga.

But things were never that simple.

The illustrious academy came within sight, and she hastened her steps, panting slightly from exertion. Her gaze turned to other people coming to school, and she noted, like always, they moved in packs.

Groups.

Herds.

Friends formed social circles and did not often invite others into them. Hierarchies were formed based on subtle notions of class and wealth. Kuoh Academy was a prestigious girl's school before becoming co-ed, one could not expect a school that distinguished to have catered to those who were incapable of handling the appropriate status that came with it. It was only common sense, hence, that a large number of the student body consisted of the children of the _elite_. Scions of wealthy conglomerates, heiresses of ancient and noble families, daughters of senators, politicians, eminent business men and people whose words held a strong sway in the way the country was ran. There were also foreign students with clearly regal bloodlines and appearances that would leave supermodels slitting their throats in mouth-foaming envy.

She wasn't ugly, by any definition of the word. With her brown braided hair and slightly oversized glasses, freckles, flabby underarms and average bust, she _knew_ that she was attractive enough for certain people to fantasize about her. She would never turn heads on the street, but if she took off her clothes, there would be a fair number of rising reactions.

However, for all her looks, in Kuoh Academy, it was effectively the same as being an average police man in the midst of Super-Soldiers.

It also made matters worse that she wasn't wealthy, charismatic, or influential. She didn't have the same sort of allure held by the majority of the girls present, the allure of a young woman from a family with wealth and power to spare. She didn't have the same training and experience. In many ways, Aika knew, she was found wanting.

"Look, it's Rias-sama!"

"She's coming to school with her entourage isn't she?"

"The Occult Research Club… so Gothic. I heard that they have a whole building dedicated to it – ""

She found herself unable to keep her gaze off the scene. Rias Gremory was a being that could have walked straight out of a supermodel magazine and no one would have been ever the wiser. As a foreign student, she broke the expected norms of racial discrimination to her Japanese counterparts, merely because of her appearance. Vivid, long red hair that flowed off her head, the color of blood. Spotless, clear skin, glistening with a light, year-round tan that added a hint of sensuality to her features. Rotund, corpulent breasts which hung like thick melons over a thin waist that almost had Aika wondering if the girl had any ribs or internal organs. She moved on legs that seemed to catch the sun's glare and reflect back rich, succulent thighs that softly spoke of the secret bounties between them.

It wasn't just her beauty, but her charisma, her aura, her _smile_. When flanked by her best friend, Akeno, the duo were like goddesses descended upon the mortal realm to grant men the first sip from the shallow waters of divinity.

The school mascot, Koneko Toujo, followed behind, a figure that was not quite as dazzling as Rias, but nonetheless possessed a sheer 'kawai' feel. She was like someone you wanted to cuddle, hold, and twist around in your arms in happiness.

Then, arguably the most handsome and desirable boy in the school, Yuuto Kiba, stood behind Koneko, completing the entourage. He possessed a smile that spoke of kindness and warmth, and his very presence evocated the feelings of loyalty and nobility. His back was straight, his posture, firm, his gaze, straight ahead, focused and determined.

It was an ensemble of desirable individuals. No matter who you were, you would gaze upon the members of the Occult Research Club, and see _something_ which you lacked, or something which you desperately desired. Boys either wanted to be with Rias or to be Kiba. Girls either wanted to be Rias or to be with Kiba.

She found herself wanting both.

Of course, she knew that it could never happen. Nowhere, except in the dark twisted recesses of her most questionable fantasies, would she find herself possessing both.

"Kiryu-san."

The sound of her name drew her attention, and she realized who it was, Brown hair, sharp eyes, flanked by a girl with pink hair, and numerous other girls who had wooden swords wrapped in white cloth slung over their backs.

"Miyashi-san" she greeted.

Miyashi Murayama gave her a short, polite nod.

"I heard what you did."

Aika blnked in confusion. Then, it her, the only thing that they could be talking about. The approving gazes, shining with blatant respect.

"It was nothing – I just – "

"We've been trying to get those scum expelled for a while now. And all you did to make them leave was to tell them to." Murayama cut her off, her voice inflecting what seemed to be a hybrid of disbelief and respect. "You have my thanks for that."

Aika swallowed. "I – I didn't – "

 _I didn't mean to make them leave the school?_ She couldn't admit that.

"Considering what one of their members was capable of, I am glad I no longer have to share the same academy with potential rapists masquerading as students."

Aika resisted the urge to wince. Only barely.

"Isn't that going a bit too far? I mean, they were annoying but, I don't think they'd really –"

"Are you actually _defending_ them?"

She balked. "What? No – I'm…" she found it hard to answer. She knew why, she knew, and she understood, that behind the veneer of porn watching idiots, Matsuda and Motohama were harmless. They loved breasts and women too much to force themselves on anyone. She had found a sort of camaraderie with the duo, because she knew, she was as perverted, if not more so, than they were.

But – she got a free pass because she had a pussy and they didn't.

Her perverted comments were taken as light teasing as best and dirty jokes at worst, while theirs was seen as blatant sexual harassment.

Admitting she watched copious amounts of porn and masturbated everyday only got her some dismayed or scandalous looks, most of which were forgotten and blown over easily. Whereas them admitting the same immediately put them in the category of the disgusting, the desperate, and the pathetic.

She didn't need to peek on girls because she could walk into the changing rooms without problem. But she could also – and had – walked into the male changing rooms to get an eyeful, while claiming it was an accident. There was no way they could pull off a stunt like that without being beaten within an inch of their lives.

The only difference between them was that her perversion was seen as a _quirk_ , a harmless part of her character. Theirs, however, was viewed in the same light that one viewed the fecal matter of a wild beast.

She took in a deep breath. "I'm just saying… maybe we were a little too hard on them. Their best friend _did_ just die –"

Murayama, took in a _sharp_ breath. "Now you're defending the scum who raped his own mother?"

"No!" she denied "That's not what I'm doing! I'm not defending Issei – I'm just trying to sympathize with –"

" _Sympathize_?" Katase was the one who spoke. Her voice hovered, increasing in pitch and in sheer incredulity. "He forcibly held me and screamed in my face, my wrists are still bruised from his hands, and you want to _sympathize_ with him?"

Aika grimaced a bit. "I agree, Matsuda went a little too far, but, you know, you started it by calling them names and accusing them of – "

" _I_ started it?" Katase's voice trembled. Her entire _body_ trembled. "Because _I'm_ the one who peeps on them when all they want to do is enjoy their privacy. _I'm_ the one who looks up their skirt when the wind blows and in order to know the color of their underwear. _I'm_ the one who constantly leers at their bodies like a piece of meat, and openly discuss ways about how to masturbate to it. _I'm_ the one who does that. _Me_. Isn't that right?"

Aika winced. "I – I didn't mean –"

"Forget it. I've heard enough." Murayama spoke up, her lips twisting into a sneer. "To think I was about to ask you to join us – a girl who sympathizes with rapists."

The accusation sent something cold running down her spine. "I _don't –_ "

"She must probably think it would be fun. To be violated like that." One of Murayama's followers jeered.

"No, I –"

"What were we expecting? It's Aika after all. No doubt she fantasizes about sick things like that. Just _look_ at her. The only way she'd ver have sex was if she was raped."

Aika recoiled as if physically slapped.

"That explains why she cut her skirt so short. Trying to tempt guys, but failing because no one is desperate enough to go for her."

She found herself staggering. Her chest burning. Her face on fire. Her hands cold and sweaty even as a lump formed in her throat, and the words, the sharp, bladed words, carved themselves past her skin and etched into her brain and her heart. Insecurities she tried desperately to hide and cover up, brought to air in the most numbing way possible.

"You're no different from them." Katase said, as though coming to a realization. "There's probably a part of you that's convinced that Hyoudou was somehow a good person rather than a waste of space and those two minions of his were just misunderstood 'nice guys'. You're _delusional_ , because accepting that they were bad means accepting the fact that you're just as worthless as they are."

Katase's lips twisted into a scowl. The girl wanted to say something else, only to pause as the bell rang. For the first time in her life, Aika was saved by it.

"Let's go. Let's leave the _whore_ and get to class. She'll get what's coming to her, one way or another." Murayama said, her eyes landing on Aika's form and making the girl flinch at the intensity of disgust she saw within them.

Aika Kiryu stood, her legs, overcooked noodles. She didn't trust herself to take a step, lest she fall. She didn't trust herself to speak, lest her voice crack. She didn't trust herself to do anything, but stand, silently, with a burning sensation in a throat. It hit her, eventually. The realization that her dreams of a Shoujo High School experience, were over.

+++++++ **Force Without Balance +++++**

"…okay. Butterfly effect is in full swing here. That's interesting."

I tuned out most of the background noise and focused on that little tidbit of info. Aika had sent the perverted trio packing? The perverted trio were hated _that_ much?

I wanted to chuckle, but I couldn't find it in me.

…

 _What the fuck is wrong with me?_

I'd normally be laughing like a maniac or giggling like a schoolgirl if I'd heard such news before. I'd probably have a whole slew of colorful expletives and metaphors to use for the situation. Now, I just observed it on with a passing interest.

I felt like a significant amount of my _zeal_ , my _passion_ was muted. Dulled. Even in my own head, I sounded… _different_. I couldn't tell if this was a sudden onset of maturity, or if Ddraig's soul was affecting me in more ways than before.

Was this how Ddraig felt all the time? So… _detached_ from everything? He'd practically seen it all and done it all, and there was nothing which could either truly irritate, annoy, or anger him, nor was there anything that could truly fascinate him. He was _apathetic_ to everything –

But that didn't fit the Ddraig from the series? Did it?

I decided to focus on something else. Such as, finding Sana. Where had that Asian woman vanished to anyway? I rose my hand, closing my eyes and casting, arguably, the most bullshit spells in the Skyrim game.

[ **Clairvoyance** ]

The ability to find any 'goal.'

In Skyrim, it pointed you to the quest marker, but, lore-wise, it was essentially a form of precognition/scrying. Which was effectively what it did in the real world, letting me find _anyone_ and/or _anything_ , so long as it was my 'goal' to do so.

The image of a young black-haired Asian woman came to mind, and I stared, disbelievingly, as I realized that the image was also in a different surrounding. A surrounding that wasn't even _remotely_ Japanese.

"India? She went… to _India?_ "

I was having a hard time wrapping my head around this –

"Lydia ditched me."

I blinked.

"Wow. _Lydia_ ditched me."

Most likely, the [ **Bend Will** ] Shout wore off, and, without any good or even remotely justifiable reason to stick around, she'd gotten as far, far, _far_ away from me as possible. Or, as possible for _her_ anyway. India was still in Asia, although a bit far off from Japan – and I _really_ didn't feel like travelling to another country to hunt her down for escaping my slavery. From her perspective, I was the dangerously powerful supernatural being who made her his minion and essentially raped her time and time again –

Well it was _technically_ consensual, but she was essentially brainwashed, so… no. Her image in my mind was that of a jumpy, frightened person, and even as she moved through the streets, she seemed hesitant, constantly looking over her shoulder, and flinching if someone so much as patted her on the shoulder. If I didn't know any better, I'd assume she was someone suffering from PTSD.

I should have made her my Thrall rather than relying on a shout… she definitely wouldn't have run away if that was the case.

 _Really fucking regretting letting those exorcist women leave now…_

Why _did_ I do that anyway?

Shit, I hope I wasn't going soft?

I deactivated the spell with a sigh, before craning my neck and looking around the mostly empty bar. A bar I didn't know how to run, for the most part. Well, I had _a lot_ of memories on bars and bar tips, and I could probably run it on my own –

I blinked.

"What the _fuck_ is this?!"

I slapped myself twice.

I have the powers of one of the Heavenly Dragons, and I was thinking about _running a bar?_ Even with just my Skyrim inventory and skills, I could be rich beyond my wildest dreams. Why the hell would I want to run a bar?

My goal was to fuck all the waifus!

The _waifus_ goddamn it!

I could use my overwhelming power and force them all to be subjugated to my will, taking them as I wanted – no one would be able to stop me –!

…Why did that idea suddenly seem so… _pathetic_ in my mind? So… cheap? Easy?

I furrowed my eyebrows in irritation. Something was seriously messing with me, and I couldn't tell what. What would I normally do at times like this? I'd bounce thoughts off someone, enabling me to talk to myself, but with the added benefit of the other person putting in some comments and perspectives I hadn't thought off. Back home, Marcus was the one who helped me out. Here, I'd had Sana for that purpose –

 _Before she ditched me –_

Yes, before she decided to stop being the enslaved fuck-toy of the powerful vampire.

"…I'm not going insane, am I?"

I paused.

"Well, _more_ insane."

There was no answer. A part of me wondered what I was expecting. There was no one in the bar save for myself and a few hundred thousand insects I could hear crawling around. The footsteps of ants seemed to echo even more loudly to my ears than my own heartbeat.

I grabbed a chair, sitting down, and scowling at nothing in particular as I attempted to take stock of my own emotions. There were apparently consequences of absorbing Ddraig's soul and using that Shout –

 _That shout –_

The shout did… _something_ – but… I couldn't remember –

Should I use it again?

No, bad idea. It caused some god-forsaken _tremors_ the last time I used it. If I did it again, I might end up causing earthquakes by mistake. More than that, I felt that the shout was partially responsible for this blasé way I felt. The exorcists attempted to kill me, clearly, and I just… _let them go._

 _Me_.

The same guy who had every intention of terminating an entire Yakuza branch because I felt one of their members (Sana) had cheated me, and conspired to kill me. Yeah, something was _definitely_ wrong.

I closed my eyes, taking a long, deep breath, and then I searched _within_ , to find the deep well that was my soul.

"Ddraig? Are you there?"

No response.

Of course, he wasn't there. He was me now, or, part of me, or was it that I was him? I couldn't tell which was which – Ddraig and I were essentially the same person – the burning red fire that was his soul was melted over a cold dark essence that was mine. All his experiences and knowledge were mine, although, it was so vast that I pushed most of it to the back of my mind in order to avoid being overwhelmed by it. My own memories, the memories of Seth, stayed at the forefront, although I could tell that the _personality_ was not entirely the same – bits and pieces of red seemed to seep in –

"It's here."

My eyes snapped open, and I flickered my gaze outside, to the sound of the voice that drew my attention. The voice sounded _familiar_. It came from outside the shop. Ten feet away. Female. Young?

" _Are you certain?_ "

Another voice. Female. Speaking over a communications device. Most importantly, I _knew_ this voice.

"Yes, Raynare-sama." The first voice said. "The shop didn't exist up to a few seconds ago. There was nothing in its place but an alleyway, and people didn't seem to pay any attention to it. However, it just… _appeared_ out of nowhere, and people… they're acting like the shop has always been there. As though there is nothing out of the ordinary."

… _what?_

" _Keep watch over the place Kalawarner. I'll contact Azazel-sama immediately._ "

The sound of movement, _a nod?_ "Should I approach the shop?"

" _Not unless you have no value for your life."_ Raynare snarked. " _Just keep watch, and tell me if anything else happens."_

"As you command, Raynare-sama."

A click, and the sound of a sigh and disgruntled muttering hit my ears. I pursed my lips together as I felt a slight headache coming on.

 _What the everloving fuck is going on here?_

My shop had been… invisible? To people?

She said it didn't exist up until a few seconds ago. So, she didn't see the exorcists leave?

The answer to all my questions lay in finding out what in the world my Shout did and why it knocked me out for three full days. Probably, it would shed some light on why I felt so… _apathetic_ to a lot of things, assuming it wasn't just Ddraig's soul mixing with mine that was the reason. There was the tiny-issue of it causing world-shaking tremors, but, if I used just _one_ word of the shout – I doubted I'd have that issue.

So, I inhaled.

" **MU –** "

" _Stop_."

My mouth clamped shut.

I was no longer alone in the shop.

An _overwhelming_ feeling of _sheer power_ crashed upon my shoulders and I found myself staggering to the ground. Gravity multiplied itself a hundred times and I spread eagle on the floor, unable to lift my face upwards to find even the slightest justification for the foreboding feeling. My chest burned in my lungs, and I realized that my lips couldn't move.

The sound of softly clicking heels drew my attention. More so, I realized that I couldn't hear the heartbeat or blood-flow of _whatever_ it was. I only knew that it was female because of that one word it had uttered beforehand.

"You can stand."

The pressure immediately vanished.

Faster than I felt I could move, _faster_ than anything I'd ever done before, I rose, reaching into my inventory for Mehrunes' Dagger with my left hand whilst simultaneously charging the [ **Paralysis** ] spell with my right hand.

 **Ouroboros Dragon Resisted Paralysis**

…

 _Fuck._

 _FUCK!_

 **Mehrunes' Dagger** clashed against the skin of small, black-haired, black-eyed young woman who was practically topless except for two 'crosses' that barely covered her nipples, and thick dark shorts.

To my credit, the dagger left a small, thin line of blood.

 **Ouroboros Dragon Resisted Mehrunes Dagger**

 _Motherfucker._

 _She resisted the Insta-kill effect?_

 _MOTHERFUCKER._

I could feel my blood pumping even as I jumped away in sheer reflex. I stood, steadily, unsurely, taking in for the first time, the short, child-like form of the being in front of me. Already, I watched, as her wound sizzled sharply, before healing, no sign or evidence that I'd ever just _cut_ her.

Her eyes and expression hovered between complete apathy, and boredom. Her appearance was a little bit scandalous from what I remembered in canon, and it certainly wasn't Gothic Lolita she was wearing. It could _barely_ be considered clothes to begin with.

"We already heard your challenge." She intoned lifelessly. "I hid you from them – from _him_. I won't do it again."

I stared at her. "Challenge? What challenge? What are you talking about?"

"Do not repeat your challenge until you are ready." She said. "He won't like it if you do."

"Wait – I don't –"

One second, she was there, and the next, she was gone.

A shiver ran down my spine, and I realized, for the first time, that there was sweat on my brow.

* * *

~~~~~~~Force Without Balance ~~~~~~~~

* * *

"Hey slut!"

"Hiya whore."

"What's good skank?"

"I heard there's a bunch of holes cut out in one of the boy's bathroom stalls. Finally found yourself an office, right Kiryu?"

Aika found herself stumbling and landing on the floor for the umpteenth time that day, by an "accidental" pair of feet which tripped her. The problem was, her skirt was short, so when she fell, everyone behind her would get a perfect view of her velvet red underwear, and this only led to more problems.

The general problem with information spreading via word-of-mouth was the tendency for facts to be switched up, misinterpreted, or misquoted in the transition from one person to another.

The information about her spread, it spread fast, and it spread wrongly.

First, it had been "Aika defends perverted trio, because she was secretly their fuck buddy."

But that, of course, didn't stick. It went on to "Aika defends all rapists and actively helps them if she can."

That one, stuck. It stuck, and it got worse, becoming "Aika defends all rapists and actively helps them if she can, and she insists that rape isn't all that bad because she's a crazy nymphomaniac sadomasochist."

Effortlessly, in one swell stroke, she was made the school's acceptable target. She found herself being tripped in the hallways and in class, found gum in her hair and on her chair, found a sign glued on her back with the words "Please Rape Me" and discovered that someone tore holes in her gym outfit and wrote on it with permanent marker "For Public Use."

That was not even counting the constant _verbal_ bullying. Girls were the ones who promoted the slut-shaming, and with Murayama's crew backing it up, most of the girls eventually felt free to call her a slut, a whore and a prostitute to her face. The guys didn't, as they were reluctant to get accused of assault, but they assisted the girls in subtle, minor ways, and would either chuckle or look away to any bullying.

The students of Kuoh Academy hadn't always been _this_ vindictive, but it was the worst possible time for her to have been picked as an "acceptable" target. One of their students was dead, dead from committing a heinous crime, and a sudden tremor hit the entire country on the same day that left significant property damage and quite a few injuries.

People were on edge.

They were _desperate_ for a diversion. A distraction. Something, anything, which could help them release their pent up stress and uncertainty.

Then, she came along; _an acceptable target_.

A glorified punching bag. A walking catharsis machine. The human equivalent of screaming in frustration into your pillow.

The teachers were not inclined to help her. If anything, it was the opposite. The school wanted to maintain the status quo, they wanted to find a way to ease students back into the classroom, to find an outlet for the mixed and uncertain fear held by the students. So, they turned a blind eye to it all, pretending as though she didn't exist. The status quo was more important than the happiness of one girl who was neither rich, nor important, nor famous, nor beautiful enough to be worth their aid.

This was Japan after-all. A high-stress nation, and home to the people who invented the infamous kamikaze attacks and the practice of seppuku. The spirit of self-sacrifice, or, the sacrifice of the one for the many, was something that was rooted deep into their psychology, into their subconscious. History would stand and tell you that the Japanese were the sort of people who threw themselves from cliffs to die after they lost the Second World War, because they had all firmly believed that they would be tortured, mutilated, and worse, if they were captured.

They believed it, because it was what _they_ would do to their enemies. So why would their allies treat them differently? That sort of cold ruthlessness could not be washed over or hidden by technological advancement or buried in the history books.

Hence, if she couldn't handle the " _light teasing"_ from her schoolmates, it was of no business of the teaching staff.

Fine, Aika decided. If the teaching staff wouldn't help her, she'd go to someone who would.

"Kiryu-san. I am currently rather too occupied to handle any unprovable claims of bullying."

Or so she thought.

Aika sat in the Student Council Office, unable to stop herself from staring in disbelief to the young woman who sat across from her. Shitori Souna, the enigmatic 'night-mode' to Rias Gremory. She was beautiful, yes, although not _extremely_ so. With her hair cut in a plain style, and the glasses which framed her eyes, she possessed the beauty of a high-caliber office woman, and the stone-cold, no-nonsense attitude to match. Supposedly, Shitori Souna was the daughter of one of Japan's most wealthy conglomerates. What she lacked in physical aesthetics, and overwhelming charisma, she possessed in spades with her intellect.

" _Unprovable?_ " Aika asked, her voice tethering into the tone of disbelief. "My clothes were vandalized! My hair – my –"

"Did you _see_ who was responsible?"

The question stopped her cold.

"No, but –"

"Can you point to _one_ particular person as the instigator?"

Aika bit her lip. She wanted to call out Murayama and her gang, but… she didn't have any evidence. Any proof. Other than a pseudo-threat, there was almost nothing linking the current bullying spree to her. She couldn't even point out any other one person who had tripped her or insulted her, because it was going to be her word against the words of dozens of students covering and protecting that person.

"No, but I –"

"Then I cannot help you Kiryu-san."

Aika resisted the urge to scream into her face. "It's everyone! You _know_ it's everyone!"

"I understand your frustration, Kiryu-san, but it is ill-advised to make slanderous and unprovable claims against your schoolmates." Souna adjusted her glasses. "As it stands, many of them have rather notable reputations to uphold, some of which are delicate, and such accusations would disrupt that delicacy, and spell _unfortunate_ consequences."

Aika's blood ran cold as she realized what was happening. "You – you're –"

"If, you were, somehow, to provide irrefutable evidence and a credible suspect to back up your accusations, I _could_ look into the matter and report it to the appropriate staff. If you cannot, however –"

"The staff won't _do anything_ to stop it." Aika gritted her teeth. "You know that – you _know –_ "

"I assure you Kiryu-san, Kuoh Academy is a world-class institution, and we would take any _verifiable_ claims of bullying and/or harassment seriously."

"Unless you've already had _one_ reputation-damning hit and are trying to avoid another."

Souna's lips twitched.

"The reputation of the school is no more valuable than the happiness of its individual members."

If Aika had lacked a dozen IQ points, she would have almost believed the regurgitated line.

 _She's in on it._ Aika realized bitterly. _She knows what's happening, and she's not going to do anything to stop it._

"Is there anything else I can help you with, Kiryu-san?"

Aika shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "No – nothing."

She sat there, in silence, for several seconds. "I guess I kind of had this coming… didn't I? This – this was what those three idiots faced all the time. No one believed them if they were innocent, people treating them like dirt. It's a fucking wonder they didn't all fly off the deep end sooner. I-I've only faced this for one day and I'm already –"

"I _am_ rather quite occupied, Kiryu-san." Souna cut in. "If there are no other issues which require my assistance, I need to return to my work."

"O-oh. Right. Sorry."

She left the office, realizing how hard it was to swallow, becoming consciously aware of how her face burned and her eyes stung harshly. Her chest _burned_ , it burned hot and made her put her arms around herself to try and stop the burning.

A small part of her wanted to believe that it'd eventually end. Things would die down, and people would forget. No one would bother her again, and people would let her be. It was just the tension, the circumstances, all of it, conspiring against her.

Things would get back to normal.

Things would calm down again.

She desperately wanted to believe it.

* * *

Sona Sitri rubbed her temples as she watched the girl leave the office.

The heiress of the Sitri Clan was not stupid. She _knew_ of course, about the recent bullying campaign against the Kiryu girl. She knew, because Murayama and Katase, amongst others, had approached her and _requested_ that she stay out of it. Sona had no real reason to refuse. It was an arrangement which would help focus the negativity of the entire school on a single target, rather than allowing it to fester and grow randomly. Of course, she established that no permanent damage should be done, and the very second anything was done which would require the girl to get medical or legal attention, the bullying would stop.

Already, Sona had seen the positives. Whereas yesterday, students moved around the halls with a form of resigned, depressed aura, seeped in with jumpy, paranoid tendencies, today, the entire student body got numerous laughs and moved with purpose, as humans tended to when they found a common ground (or enemy) to focus on. Even those who were morally against the bullying, watched with reluctant amusement and schadenfreude to see what ill-gotten fate would befall the girl next.

It was a rather timely distraction, and as far as Sona was concerned, trading the happiness of one girl for that of an entire school was a fantastic deal.

There was, of course, still the heart of the matter. The reason for the student's unease.

"Have we been able to find anything?"

Her Queen appeared beside her, shaking her head. "No, kaicho. Somehow, all traces of the energy seemed to have vanished after the tremors hit."

Sona pursed her lips. It had only been two days. Two days since Hyoudou Issei died, and the mysterious mind-boggling power that was unleashed caused hundreds of thousands in infrastructural damages. A few dozen people died and numerous others were injured in one way or another. Yet, Sona couldn't track down the source. It _irked_ her. It was a _mystery_ , and she _disliked_ mysteries.

The tremors were focused on Japan, mostly, but the energy spike had been _global_. The entire _world_ had felt it.

 _The entire world felt a massive power surge that came from Kuoh Town, Japan_.

She knew what this meant. She knew the catastrophic consequences of this. A part of her was tempted to immediately take her peerage and hide out in the underworld for a few months until everything died out, but she could not. Rias, the stubborn girl, claimed that Kuoh was her territory.

This meant, protecting your territory from all invaders and comers, whoever they may be.

Sona was not as confident. She was powerful, yes, but she doubted her ability to take on the legions of battle-crazed maniacs, angels, gods, demons, and other beings that would _flock_ to Kuoh in order to find the source of that power and either defeat it, or recruit it.

On one hand, successfully fighting them all off would immediately boost her reputation, and that of her peerage, in the Underworld. On the other hand, failing to do so, would diminish it, and if she was killed –

She did not even want to consider the devastation that her sister would release upon those unfortunate to have done the deed.

"Kaicho."

Her Vice-President's voice was filled with _urgency_ that it did not normally possess.

"One of our familiars – detected something." Tsubaki said, sounding nervous. " _Someone_. Someone… powerful."

* * *

~~~~~~~~~~ Force Without Balance ~~~~~~~~~~

* * *

Aika left school early that day.

She knew, of course, that there was a nasty surprise planned for her by her bullies once the final bell rung, but she wasn't going to wait to find out what it was. No, she'd endured enough. No one would help her, no one wanted to be associated with her, and it was pointless to try and learn anything in class, when her best attempts to answer questions or participate in activities led to her being scorned, insulted, or mocked.

So she left, her small schoolbag flung over her back as she navigated the streets leading back to her home. It was different, to leave school early, and not see the roads and streets filled to the brim with different students attempting to use different modes of transportation to get around. It was weird, a bit off-putting as well. Instead, she saw a combination of different types of individuals, mostly construction workers, road officials and University students, going about their day –

She did blink when she saw a nun though.

Young, blonde-haired, and green-eyed, and clearly, blatantly looking lost and out of place. On any other day, Aika would have rushed to approach the nun and help her, or maybe tease her. Had she not endured a tiring, harsh day of bullying, insults, and assaults, she would have felt charitable enough to help a stranger in need. Had she not remembered, that all her problems started because she wanted to help a hapless female in the form of Katase, she would have gone ahead to help the nun.

But she did, and so, instead, she walked past.

"U-U-Um, a-a-ano, I – I –"

And she kept walking, even as the nun called out to her. She grit her teeth, forcing herself not to look back, but she did, just a bit, and almost wanted to punch herself for how dejected the girl looked. So, she steeled her mind to turn around and help –

Only for a silver-haired, _handsome_ young man to appear and approach the girl, asking her some questions.

Aika's brain stopped in its tracks, noting the leather jacket, the chain, the long, styled silver hair, and the _gorgeous_ face that sent heat rushing through her. She turned about instantly, reservations changed, only to stop cold when the man seemed to turn and give her a stare that seemed _filled_ with some type of disgust or loathing. As though he were staring at a revolting specie of cockroaches.

Aika could only swallow sharply, turn around, and then walk away, her chest burning and her throat, tight.

At the very least, she'd listened enough to hear the name of the handsome boy, who, she would shamelessly, and abashedly think of as she drowned her sorrows with self-pleasure. She would envision his face in the recesses of her mind.

"Vali…" She whispered.

She would enjoy moaning it tonight.


	8. Dragons Don't Have A Rulebook

**So, just gonna say it, I DO NOT FUCKING GIVE ANYONE PERMISSION TO POST ANY OF MY STORIES ANYWHERE. Fuck. Jesus. It's simple fucking courtesy, don't tell me how much you love it and how much you want other people to do love it as well, if you want them to love it, give them a fucking link to and let them read it here.**

 **This is in lieu of coming back from being sick and discovering someone took my story (Son of Gato) and uploaded it on some shitty site called Webnovel. Now, I'm going to need to find ways to make the fucker take it down, which probably means creating an account on a site I have no interest in, just to I can message the fucker.**

 **Ugh.**

 **Rant Over.**

 **Some people considered last chapter a filler. That's cool. Others felt bad for Aika and understood that a chapter dedicated to showing how an entire school could easily bully a person if no one spoke up in that person's defense was important. That's cool too.**

* * *

"Motherfucking infinity dragon fucking showing up like a god-forsaken loli ninja –"

I paced around, gritting my teeth in the first _emotion_ I could feel since waking up. I clicked my tongue, cracking my knuckles as I resisted the urge to fire the first burning spell that came to my mind and turn my home into charcoal. I expected _a lot_ of things from this recent development, but none of them included the possibility of characters being different from their canon equivalents.

I paused my pacing, stopping to take a deep breath and realize how bullshit that previous thought was.

I haven't _actually_ met any 'canon' characters, other than Issei and Raynare, so I had no fucking frame of reference as to whether or not they were truly 'canon.' Because I sure as hell knew that Katase feeling _harassed_ wasn't canon, a group of girls considering the Perverted Trio as rapists wasn't canon, and neither was the whole deal with the exorcists and Fallen Angels causing monetary damages in several shops.

So Ophis – dressed not in Gothic-Lolita clothing, but in thin strips of black tape. _Somehow_ capable of shutting me up with a single word, and intensifying gravity enough that I couldn't stand. I _knew_ that Ophis was one of the strongest beings in existence, but knowing and _experiencing_ were two different fucking things.

I paused. It suddenly hit me.

"Huh. I'm feeling emotions again."

Not only that, but my mind was _finally_ starting to sound less and less like the robotic bastard child of an answering machine and a sex-bot. A surprise fucking visit from "Overpowered Loli LLC" seemed to be the most effective therapy for Dragon-Soul disease.

"Fuck." I took in a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "FUUUUCK." I grit my teeth, remembering, with nigh-perfect detail, Ophis and her ability no-sell my **Mehrunes' Dagger**. In the Skyrim game itself, the only people who could do that, I believe, were the Ebony Warrior, Miraak, and Alduin himself.

Then there was the deal with that shout. I opened up my menu, searching for it, only to find –

 **? ? ?**

 **MUL NAH DOV**

 **This shout enables the user to ? ? ? ? ? ?**

"Oh come _fucking_ on! That's bullshit!"

I grit my teeth. Question marks. Tons and tons of question marks. I wasn't getting any answers from there, but I _could_ try my best to guess that somehow, Ophis felt my shout. _Her, and probably every single dragon alive_.

"Challenge…" I muttered. "She said she already heard my challenge."

Did my Shout effectively just give the middle-finger to every dragon alive and tell them to come get some?

No, not just every _dragon_.

Every _one._

"…Mother _fucker_."

I could already _hear_ them coming. The crackle of teleportation magic. The flapping of wings. The racing feet of monstrous beings. The sound of whetstones sliding across blades and the sharp, demanding questions –

" _Where is he?_ "

A shudder ran down my spine. _That voice_.

"A-ano – I – I don't understand –"

I blinked. _That… voice._

"You're from the Church aren't you? You came here because you felt the power as well?"

"P-P-Power? N-n-no – I – well," ruffling of clothes. Rapid heartbeats. Increased blood flow. _Nervous. Uncertain. Afraid_. "I – I just – didn't have anywhere to go after I was…"

A 'tsk' of annoyance. "After you were what?"

"I was… excommunicated… from the church."

Brief silence.

"If you're not here to fight, then I don't have any business with you."

"W-w-wait!"

Another louder tsk. "What?"

"A-ano, I – I was supposed to m-meet s-s-someone at the local church here… b-but the place was b-burnt down when I got there and I couldn't f-find anyone –"

"That's none of my business –"

"B-but –" her heartbeat was loud. _Immensely loud_. Despite the immense distance, and despite the benefits granted by my superhuman hearing, I could hear it poundingand walloping against her chest as though it were going to burst out any second.

I could also hear her _perspiration_. Hear the _sound of sweat rolling down her skin_. Hear every single nervous twitch of her fingers, every unconscious body movement, every tiny shudder and desperate breath.

I wanted to _help_ her.

I wanted to _comfort_ her.

I wanted to –

The world spun in my vision. The sound of cars and horns became overwhelmingly clearer, as did the sound of classroom bells, and chalk scraping on walls. A sudden breeze hit me, and something _else_ , which caused me to wince in pain.

 **Your Vampire Blood Boils In the Sunlight**

 _What. The. Fuck._

"Ah!"

The appearance of a sudden shadow cast over the short girl's form surprised her, making her stagger and fall on her butt uncertainly. The entire scene gave me a weird sense of déjà vu, particularly because, despite how long her skirt was, she fell in such a manner that gave me a view of her pearly white underwear, and an outline of her womanly parts.

 _Somehow_ , I felt more evil for staring at Asia's underwear than I did ordering Issei's corpse to violate his mother.

"You!"

I flickered my gaze to the only other person there. _Damn, fuck this guy and his bishounen looks._

Vali was _handsome._

 _Fuck._

I mean, I wasn't gay or anything, but if I _was –_ Vali would be one of the people on my fuck-it list. He was the first _devil_ I'd met, and it stood out to me that devils were just as aesthetically pleasing to the eyes as their Fallen Angel counterparts. The White Dragon Emperor was someone that could have given Justin Bieber a run for his money in the sheer ability to make teenage girls wet. His jaw was sharp and defined, his face, perfectly symmetrical to a degree that one would have suspected plastic surgery if they didn't know any better, his eyes bore a dangerous glint to them, and his silver hair would have completed the look of the Devil-Kakashi, if only it could defy gravity.

Being near him also sent some kind of _alarm_ through my body, like a _shiver_ , that immediately warned me of his identity, and the presence of the Vanishing Dragon within him.

Then, the fucking part of me that was still not used to this shit just realized that I freaking teleported.

 _Could Ddraig teleport?_

Well… yes… they had Dragon Magic Circles… or something? Didn't they?

Fuck, I wish I'd paid more attention to the Light Novels.

"Are you alright?" I stretched out my hand, only to stare in surprise as I subconsciously charged the **[Telekinesis]** spell, using it to raise Asia into the air for a few brief seconds, before slowly dropping her on her feet.

She blushed a brilliant shade of crimson, along with making a quiet 'eep' sound that accompanied her awe at the feat. She nodded sharply, my ears realizing that her heart was practically a drum-solo at this moment from how hard they were beating.

Asia was… beautiful.

Not in the same way Raynare was that I'd wanted to tear off all her clothes in a wild frenzy and take her as she stood. Not in the averagely-plain-but-if-you-squint-hard-enough manner that Sana had been. Not like any of the girls I could remember meeting, as either myself or Ddraig. Her body was _somewhat_ well-developed. Her legs and arms were lacking in musculature or any form of definition which spoke of a life without much physical work or labor. Her body was not the anorexic-thin that was required of supermodels, nor was it the sensual voluptuousness that was needed of sex-icons. Her blonde hair didn't fall down her head like a waterfall, but was instead unsmooth and slightly unkempt, with some corners appearing combed and others neglected. Her eyes were not like large marbles that I'd expected of anime-style-art, but were instead small on her face, their green shine reminding me emeralds, and I could see some bags underneath them that spoke of tiredness and lack of sleep.

Her nun's attire was frayed. Little cuts and damages littered it like weeds on an otherwise flawless sidewalk. It was also a bit dirty, as I could notice the smudges, the sand and the dust stains on the corners and sleeves. The color was dulled, and it appeared a tad too large for her diminutive stature.

Despite this all, what drew my mind to associate the girl with beauty was the smile on her face. The awkward smile, which seemed present, genuine and involuntary.

I opened my mouth, momentarily, and I found myself questioning what exactly I would say.

"You – you're my _rival_ , aren't you?"

My gaze was snapped away from Vali, who seemed to grin at me as though he recognized something. "The _sheer power_ I can feel coming from you – there's no doubt. You're _him_. The **Red Dragon Emperor.** " The sound of his heartbeat increased, the blood rushing through his veins maxed out their pressure.

I gave him a brief glance.

Then I turned back to Asia. "Are you hungry?"

The nun blinked in surprise at being addressed, before flustering a bit. "A-ah – I'm… well –"

Vali bristled. "Don't _ignore_ me – I'm –"

"This is a sweetroll." I said, focusing on Asia, and reaching into my inventory to bring it out. "It's not _much_ , but it should give you some energy until we can get you some real food."

The girl's eyes glistened as I made food appear out of thin air, and shoved it into her hands.

"I – I c-can't, I –"

I glanced at her, before shaking my head. "Your trials is over, Asia." I said, _you've suffered way too fucking much in this world, and I'm not going to let you suffer any more._ "Take this, eat it, and be happy."

She took it into her shivering hands, and, she cried. Tears fell freely from her eyes, at the sight of it, along with a muttered stream of incoherent words mixed in with sobs, all of which my enhanced hearing could pick out as her repeatedly saying: "Thank you."

Vali stood, his veins on his forehead seemingly bulging in irritation. "You –"

"Shut. **Up.** "

I _flared_ my power, turning to Vali and watching as the boy staggered back a bit.

" _Vali_." A voice spoke, disrupting what he was about to say. " _Be careful._ "

While Asia ate her sweetroll, devouring it with teary gusto, I turned my attention back to Vali, doing my best to calm the burning sensation I felt in my stomach.

"What? What are you saying, Albion?"

"… _I can't sense my rival. No – it's not just that, I_ can _sense him – and he has… merged, with this being._ " Albion said. _"You are looking at a person who has all the powers of Boosted Gear and the Red Dragon Emperor, and none of the drawbacks. Whereas my power is restricted by the limits of your body, and the Divine Dividing, our opponent doesn't have such limitations._ "

Something seemed to _click_ in Vali's head as well.

"So, fighting against him would be like fighting against a _true_ Heavenly Dragon in their prime?"

" _Yes._ "

Vali's face _lit up_.

"Finally… _finally,_ a worthy opponent! Fitting! Perfectly fitting for my rival!"

 _Power_ exploded from him like a god-forsaken meteorite crashed in front of me. Bursts of heavy winds and pressure emitted from his form, sending sand and dust billowing in all directions, and sending my hair whipping backwards from me.

"Eep!"

… I almost felt irritated at the clichéd manner in which the winds blew Asia's skirt upwards and gave me a panty shot. More than that, the Nun found herself being pushed back from the sheer pressure, and I wanted to curse as I turned to look at the idiot in front of me.

"We're in broad fucking daylight!"

"As long as I get to fight you," He said, an excited laugh ripping itself from his throat " _I don't care!_ "

 _Motherfucker!_

If I recalled, Vali was the type of individual cocky and battle-crazy enough to declare his desertion in front of the leaders of the three factions. The type of person arrogant enough to say to Issei's face that he'd _kill_ Rias and her peerage – when _Sirzechs_ was there. Vali was the type of person who would want to _fight God_ , if he was given the chance.

Why did I believe he'd let something as insignificant as _subtlety_ , stop him?

An earthshattering _crack_ hit my ears, and I whipped my eyes in time just to see a fist charging straight for my skull. Instincts, more than any conscious movement, made me slap the attack away with my right palm, causing the boy to over-extend.

I realized the world was moving in slow motion.

Vali's form seemed to move like a turtle, and something told me I knew what was responsible. **Supernatural Reflexes** – One of the Powers available to Vampire Lords. It was essentially a slightly slower version of the **[Slow Time** ] shout, and, apparently, it was automatic.

 _Huh._

The world in slow motion continued, and I reached out with both hands, grabbing Vali's neck and arms, locking them in what was effectively known in some circles, as a finishing move called the _Master Lock_. The world returned to regular speed, a burst of air that was clearly as a result of a shockwave travelling away from myself and Vali, who was now firmly held in place.

"Y-you –"

I applied a bit of pressure, hearing the grinding of bones in his body, and it shut him up momentarily.

"One, that was a _very_ stupid thing to do." I began slowly. "Two, as it is, I can snap your arms or break your neck faster than you can **Divide** my power in half and use it to boost yours. Three –"

I turned to Asia, who seemed to be looking at the whole thing in a mix of confusion, fear and concern.

"You're not harmed are you?"

"A-ah, n-no, I'm f-fine."

I nodded, turning my attention back to Vali.

" _Three_ , you almost hurt my _waifu_." I whispered. "If anything had happened to her, _I'd kill you, slowly_."

I expected him to be afraid a bit. Or a little bit cautious. I mean, I _was_ way taller than him, possessed more defined muscle-mass than him, and was clearly stronger than him. I had him in a substitution maneuver that he wouldn't be escaping unless he could **Divide** my power ten times in under a second. Effectively, I'd _proven_ something… hadn't I?

Vali, however, merely laughed.

 _He laughed_.

"Yes, yes – this is the way it should be –" a smirk appeared on his face. "Do you think merely holding me is going to stop me?"

 _Oh for fuck's sakes –_

" **[Paralysis** ]."

Vali's entire upper body went slack and motionless.

"No, but paralyzing you from the shoulders down should do the trick."

The smirk immediately wiped off his face.

Instead, his features scrunched up, clearly and blatantly trying to do his best to either struggle or move his body, but failing time and time again. I knew from my experiments with Sana, that he could _feel_ it, but he just couldn't _move_ it.

It was my turn to smirk, and judging by his gaze, he spotted the rather sharp looking fangs I had.

"…you're a vampire." He said, surprised. "And you're the **Red Dragon Emperor**? Hah… that's so unbelievable that it's not even funny."

"Coming from a descendant of Lucifer? A bit thick on the irony isn't it?"

Vali's eyes widened.

"Yes, I know who you are you little shit." I groused, annoyed. "I did my homework on you, but you couldn't even give me the same fucking courtesy, seeing as how you just charged at me like a crazed chipmunk."

We were drawing a little bit of attention now, that is, assuming we weren't beforehand. Me, a six-foot-tall gaijin holding a smaller teenage boy in an outdated WWE submission hold, whilst a nun stared awkwardly at the whole thing, seemingly uncertain as to whether to interrupt, or to leave.

If the fucking shockwave and burst of power Vali released earlier didn't draw anyone's attention, _this_ certainly would. Thankfully, no one was stupid enough to bring out their cellphones to try and record whatever it was that was going on.

A part of me was seriously considering killing Vali and taking his **Divine Dividing** … but I was still reeling from the mindfuck that was absorbing Ddraig's soul and powers (which I seemed to be using subconsciously) and I didn't want to make my head even _more_ fucked up by throwing _another_ dragon's thoughts and experiences into it.

Yeah… for now? Gonna have to chill on the dragon slaying and soul taking. I didn't want to end up in bloody psyche ward with Multiple Personality Disorder coming from different dragons.

So what the _fuck_ am I going to do with this Battle-Crazy White Dragon Emperor?

"Can you swim with just your head?"

Vali's eyes seemed to widen at that comment.

"What?"

"I'm contemplating tossing you into the nearest creek I can find." I explained. "So it would really fucking help me if I knew you couldn't swim with just your head."

"Why would you –" Vali snarled. "You're the Red Dragon Emperor! I'm the White Dragon Emperor! It's our fate, our _destiny_ to fight to the death –"

"And what makes you think I'm going to fight you like I'm a fucking Samurai?" I said, dryly. "Or do I look like a Knight? Do you see me in shining red armor and riding a horse? Does my résumé have princess-saving and dragon-slaying on it?" I paused. "Well, I _do_ slay dragons. So maybe that's where you got the misconception from."

Vali growled. "So you're a coward, pathetic."

I rose an eyebrow.

"No, I'm just not an idiot." I clarified. "Even if I _were_ to fight you, what exactly makes you think I'm going to fight you _fairly?_ Knowing fully well that all _you_ want is a straight-up slug-fest like we're reenacting Fight Club, why would I do exactly that?"

"Because –" Vali seemed to search for the answer. "Because you can't beat me with tricks and gimmicks."

I gave him a long, hard look, before releasing him, watching as he fell to the ground.

"I just did. And I can do it again. And again. And again and again and again. And I'll _keep_ doing it. _I will never fight you with my all_. Why?"

I placed my right foot on his chest and gazed into his eyes.

"Because _why the fuck would I give you the_ _satisfaction?_ "

Vali looked as though someone had slapped him, and then forced him to eat an unripe lemon, whilst he was gargling red peppers.

"A-ah – is – is everything… alright?"

I turned my attention to Asia, who seemed both lost and worried, and I shot her a nice smile.

"Ah, don't worry about it. Vali-kun here is family – we're just having a nice family chat."

I turned to him, my feet pressing harder on his chest.

"Isn't that right, _Vali-kun?_ "

If looks could kill, all of Japan would have become an ashen ruin, courtesy to the loathful, wrath-filled glare that Vali Lucifer sent my way.

In a way, he reminded me strangely of Bakugo from _My Hero Academia_. Someone who wanted to be the strongest, by all fucking means and who wanted to use his own strength to fight and overcome challenges. And, like Bakugo, fighting an opponent who wouldn't fight back with his all or even take him seriously was something that he could not, _would_ not stand for. Just as how Bakugo raged at Todoroki for not fighting him with his all, and considered his victory as 'hollow,' Vali would never be satisfied with an opponent who intentionally _holds back_ just to _deprive him_ of the satisfaction of a good fight.

"You – you – _coward –_ " Vali seethed. "I'll do whatever it takes to _make you_ fight me seriously!"

 _Will you now?_

I reached into my inventory, grabbing a specially-crafted **Potion of Fortify Illusion** which made Illusion Spells _1000%_ stronger. Vali stared at me, confused at the fact that I brought a vial from nowhere and chugged it down my throat. I ignored the slimy, slippery taste, finishing the liquid as I felt a strange _lull_ overcome me.

Then, I pointed my right hand down at him.

" **[Pacify** ]."

* * *

 **XXXXXX**

* * *

Asia knew that her Father worked in mysterious ways.

At first, she'd felt bitter and sad at the way she was excommunicated from the church. All her life, all she'd known was the church, its doctrines, its teachings, its principles. All she'd known was healing people, day in, day out, healing injuries, healing wounds, healing lepers and those afflicted with horrible illnesses that she hadn't seen before. She understood why, of course. God had blessed her, blessed her with such a miraculous gift. The ability to heal people, and she, having being blessed, would do her best to make sure her Father was proud of her.

The Church also understood how important it was that she spread God's kindness and mercy through her healing, so, they let her, they brought new people to her, and it was always easier to convince someone of the Lord's goodness and mercy when you had just healed them of a terrible disease.

She truly enjoyed her work, and she enjoyed spreading that kindness and happiness and cheer. All of it, was ruined when she healed that devil.

They called her a witch. A heretic. They kicked her out with nothing but the few clothes she had on her back, and did not even bother to give her a stipend to use and survive.

But worse, she didn't know _how_ to survive.

She'd never really left the church compound, or gone anywhere without supervision. She didn't know how to travel on her own or commute. She had never done it before. So, kicked on her own and forced to fend for herself, she'd had to rely on the few kindness of others in order to get from place to place. Yet, even then, she'd found herself often lost or in the wrong place.

She shuddered as she remembered an incident, with a group of boys. The only reason she escaped was because two of them were catholic, and believed that doing unspeakable things to a nun would forever ban them from God's favor. The other three had disagreed, and it had led to a fight, a fight that had given her the opportunity she needed to flee.

The light in her eyes had dulled a bit after that event. But, even so, she did not stop praying, nor stop worshipping. Surely, she reasoned to herself, this was her Father's way of testing her, just as he had tested Abraham and tested Job, tested Moses and tested Joseph. This too, was her test.

Weeks of homelessness and hunger, starvation and tiredness, all came to an end when she was approached by a priest in shining white, with equally white hair.

"Huh, so _you're_ the shitty little thing that was fucking stupid enough to heal a devil?"

He was not quite as she expected her hero to be. No, he was the opposite. Cruel, crass, insulting, and unbelievably violent. She realized that he was a rogue exorcist, and he had come to take her in under orders from an angel. A _Fallen_ Angel.

She went with Father Selzen, because she didn't have any other choice. Because she was hungry, because she was weak, and because, she still desperately wanted a link to the church, to her home, to _her father_.

Father Selzen of course, laughed at her.

"After all the shitty things you've been through, you still fucking believe that he's looking out for you?"

"Yes." She responded with conviction she didn't know she had.

Father Selzen hadn't liked that. The bruises she had from the beating he gave her still stung. And she shuddered at the memory of what _could_ have happened to her, while she was under his care. She felt disgust and revolting shame at how he touched her, at _where_ he touched her –

He never went beyond the touches and the beatings, but Asia could always see the blatant desire he had in his eyes when he beat her. Her nightmares were filled with the sound of his breathing, and the phantom sensations of hands inappropriately roaming all over her. She knew, the only thing that stopped Father Selzen from doing worse, was because he answered to someone higher, the Fallen Angel, and he would not be able to justify himself were he to push past.

At a point, Asia questioned how far her Lord wished to test her.

Then, she remembered that Job had lost all that he cared for, and Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son. Her tests were only just beginning.

They had finally reached their destination, Japan. However, tremors had hit. In the wake of all the tremors, the shock and confusion, she'd disembarked from one of the trains with Father Selzen, but, they'd been separated amidst a crowd.

It took her two days to arrive at Kuoh, where she believed she was to meet the Fallen Angel who requested her. Yet, upon arriving at the church, she'd seen nothing. The place was deserted, and in ruins, as though a great fire had completely engulfed it. The damages had looked so recent as well.

She found herself wandering the streets, not knowing where to go or what to do. She didn't have money to stay in a hotel, she didn't know anyone else in Japan, nor did she even have a basic enough understanding of the language to be able to live in the country without problems.

So what was she to do?

She wanted to give up, a part of her.

She wanted to break down and cry, another part of her.

She didn't want to continue. These tests, they were too much, for her. Too much for anyone.

But her Lord worked in mysterious ways.

"Are you alright?"

With three words, and a gesture, she found herself rising, above everything that plagued her, above her darker thoughts and sadness, above the troubles, trials and tribulations, and she, stood, once more, on her feet.

"This is a sweetroll." The tall, red-eyed man said, his voice the kindest thing she'd heard in a long, long while. Like magic, food appeared in his hand, with a delicious aroma and appearance that sent her stomach tumbling over just at the sight. "It's not _much_ , but it should give you some energy until we can get you some real food."

Her eyes watered even as he gestured it to her.

"I – I c-can't, I –"

And he uttered to her, the words she never thought she'd hear.

"Your trial is over Asia." He said, while _looking_ at her. And she felt, at that moment, _she knew_ –that this man in front of her, somehow, someway –

"Take this, eat it, and be happy."

 _The Lord had sent her savior._

* * *

 **XXXXXXX**

* * *

Vali was not pleased with these turn of events.

"What _are_ you?"

"Just your friendly neighborhood Dragon." The man said, "Mr. Stalker."

The White Dragon Emperor wanted to be annoyed, offended, or even insulted, but because of whatever spell the vampire cast on him, he found that all those emotions were inaccessible. He didn't even have it in him to _attack_ anything or anyone, or to even be _mean_.

"I'm not a stalker."

"You've been following Asia and I around all day."

"It's so I can…" he wanted to say the word 'fight' but somehow, it was locked to him. " _Peacefully disagree_ with you once whatever spell you put on me ends."

He wanted to rage at the indignation, but he couldn't.

He couldn't rage. He couldn't get angry. He couldn't even _feel_ the desire to get angry or upset or offended or insulted. It was a tranquil peace, and the desire for fighting and more fighting and _more and more and more_ fighting was… _gone._

"Y'know, this spell is normally supposed to make you feel high as a kite." The _Vampire_ that also happened to be the Red Dragon Emperor (he still couldn't wrap his head around that one) said calmly. "But, you've been hopped up on the desire for violence for so long, that it's only enough to barely make you an agreeable person. That's… pretty fucking hardcore right there."

Vali could hear his host laughing, and he would have felt embarrassment if he could. Of course, if he could, he also would have prevented himself from entering a shopping mall, where he watched as the Red Dragon Emperor, dressed in a casual T-Shirt, a pair of jean shorts, and flip-flops, proceeded to tell the nun to pick out anything she wanted.

Before that, they'd gone to a fancy looking restaurant, and the Vampire ordered an extra-large meal for the girl, who, to Vali's surprise, managed to sit down and finish the entire thing. She seemed confused as to why the Vampire was helping her, and why Vali was tagging along, but all the same she knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. There was also the fact that the Vampire was _intimidating_ visually, the man's six-feet in height effortlessly dwarfing the young girl, even if he did have young features and a handsome face. His tall and lean-muscular appearance dwarfed Vali as well, something which irked the English Dragon.

"A-an-, S-seth-san, a-are these clothes okay?"

Vali turned his attention to the nun, who seemed to have picked out a set of colorful dresses. Mostly in the themes of whites and sky-blues, she awkwardly held them, unsure of what to do in the bizarre situation.

"Do you like them?"

She nodded briefly. "T-they're… n-nice."

The Vampire hummed. "Try them on then."

"I – I – c-can I?"

"Of course. Remember, get anything you want. Money isn't an issue."

The girl seemed to be more flustered than before, as she moved with the clothes in her hand and went into the changing rooms. Vali could only turn his head to stare at the man, _Seth_ , he now knew was the Red Dragon Emperor's name.

"Why are you helping this nun?" he asked.

"Because I can." He said, before pausing. "Because someone had to."

Vali understood that answer. He could relate with it, doing things he wanted whenever he wanted. Azazel gave him a _lot_ of leeway in certain things he could do, but even then, there were still some limitations. Some people he couldn't go against because of the long-reaching consequences.

"You wanted to help her as well, didn't you?" the Vampire said, a smirk on his lips. "But you just didn't know how."

Vali almost scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're not an idiot, Vali. There's no way that you honestly thought a _human nun_ , without a lick of magical power or ability was here to find the source of the power _that was felt throughout the world_ and _fight_ it. Or that she'd even _know_ what it was you're talking about."

Vali remained quiet.

"Approaching people to help them… kind of odd for a battle-maniac isn't it?" the vampire chuckled.

"Are you going somewhere with this?" Vali asked.

"Nah." Seth said. "Just making conversation."

They were seating on one of the chairs in the shop, and the Vampire's gaze was simply straight ahead with something akin to laziness. Numerous young women passed them both, giggling and whispering amongst themselves and Vali could practically smell the lust and desire off them. He'd never normally find himself sitting here, for any reason, whatsoever, amongst humans and doing something so casual such as waiting for a girl to change.

It was a jarring change of pace from his usual lifestyle. From battle. From fighting. From thinking about the next enemy or the next goal. The vampire-dragon by his side seemed to be his complete antithesis in more ways than one. There was a strange sense of utter relaxedness from him. He stared at the world with something akin to both apathy and curiousity. Like he'd seen it all before, experienced it all before, like he wasn't in a rush or hurry to go anywhere or do anything. He was calm, almost unusually so, and Vali found that calmness spreading to him as well. It was infectious in its simplicity.

"You've never stopped, have you?"

"What?"

"You've never stopped," Seth repeated. "To just… smell the roses. Do something _normal_." The vampire shook his head. "You're going to live for a long, _long_ , _long_ time. If you don't die in combat, odds are you'll never die at all. Are you really going to spend centuries, millennia, doing _nothing_ but fighting?"

The Vampire turned to gaze at him. Haunting red eyes searching for something.

"Have you ever played a videogame? Picked up a sport? Swam in the ocean? _Danced for fun?_ Do you even listen to music or play an instrument? Have you ever even had a crush or kissed a girl?"

…

"I wasn't given the chance."

It surprised him that he answered that question honestly. Perhaps it was the effect of the Vampire's spell which put him completely at ease. Perhaps it was the nature of the question which struck at something deep inside him that he forgot. Perhaps it was both of these things working together.

"My father gave me the worst possible life, because of my heritage and because of my Sacred Gear." He said, closing his eyes. "He was _weak_. He was weak and he was _scared_. Terrified of me because of my bloodline, and because of what I was gifted with. He tried everything to break me, to make me bend to him, to make himself _feel_ strong–"

Vali stopped, a form of irritation sparking up with him. "This – this is your doing isn't it – making me talk?"

Seth shook his head. "No. My power just makes you calm. It doesn't make you spill out your darkest secrets."

"It _feels_ that way."

"That's because you're _calm_. Calmer than you've ever been and calmer than you'll possibly ever be. Imagine talking with someone and feeling no fear, no hesitation, no anxiety, no real reason to hide vulnerabilities." The vampire clarified. "You'll find yourself being honest because you feel you have literally nothing to lose from doing so."

"But I _do_." Vali said.

"Do you?" Seth replied, amused. "Dude. I'm not interested in killing you. Well, maybe, once-upon a time, I was. But not anymore. And if I _really_ feel that I need to make an enemy of you, I'll stick to crippling you rather than just outright killing you."

Vali stared at the enigmatic being in front of him, not quite sure how to wrap his head around it. So much power, yet, a seeming desire not to use it in the most ruthless manner possible. Here he was, _talking_ with him, as though they weren't destined rivals, as though they were not meant to battle and fight each other to the death.

He seemed interested in _helping_ him. The same way he seemed interested in helping the nun. The only thing was, Vali couldn't figure out _why_.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"You could have fought me instead of… _this_. Why are you doing this?"

The Vampire turned his gaze back to him, and then smiled.

"Because I can."

He paused.

"And because… you'd be kinda cool to have as a friend." The man grinned. "Well, once we pull the stick out of your ass and remove all the prude – you'd make a great wingman."

Vali stared for a few minutes.

"What is a wingman?"

"… and because you say stuff like that." Seth sighed, before rubbing his face. "…have you ever watched _any_ Television program?"

"It's a waste of time."

"You're practically immortal. _You have time to waste_."

Vali slowly felt the calmness slip through his fingers, his ease dying off, his mind becoming more alert and awake, and a burning desire returned to him to find the strongest opponent he could.

"Seems like the effect is wearing off." The Vampire said, unperturbed. "So… what are you going to do now?"

"I still want to fight you."

The Vampire let out a deep sigh.

"But –" Vali added. " _Fairly_. One on one. A _real_ fight. At a place we can agree on – on equal terms."

Seth seemed to look him over, a bit of surprise in his eyes.

"…Sure, why not?" he said. "Of course, it has to be in a place where we don't draw _too much_ attention, or cause immense collateral damage."

"There are vast portions of the underworld unused and large enough."

"…Alright. Works for me. I'll see you there in a month."

"A _month_?" Vali bristled.

"Enough time to make sure when we fight, we'll _really_ be giving it our all."

Vali thought it over.

"A month."

Seth nodded.

"A month." Before smiling wryly. "See you then?"

Vali, despite himself, couldn't quite place the odd feeling, looking at what was supposed to be his rival, the _oddest_ rival he'd never expected. His rival was clearly older than him, _arguably_ wiser, but, there was still this unpredictability about his actions and demeanor.

"You have an interesting stare, but no, I don't swing that way."

Vali merely shook his head. "I don't understand you, Red Dragon Emperor"

Seth laughed. "Join the club." He said. "Sometimes, I don't even understand myself."

* * *

 **XXXXX**

* * *

I watched Vali Lucifer walk away from the shop and leave, and I let out a breath I didn't fucking know I was holding. I thanked the heavens for the **Elixir of Glibness** I'd drank while he wasn't looking, otherwise, I doubted our conversation would have gone so damned fucking smoothly. I was only beginning to see the benefits of the 100 **Speech** skill that I had, which was so fucking strange that I hadn't ever thought about trying to talk my way through situations before.

But I remembered the end of _Fallout: New Vegas_ and the fact that a maxed **Speech** actually came in handy in diffusing conflict. Thank the fucking gods for that, and for my enhanced hearing which helped me know when his heartbeat was rising, giving me clues as to when was appropriate to say something things, and when wasn't.

My hands were shivering a bit, because, if it came down to it, there was the possibility that Vali was unhinged enough to screw the whole secrecy biz and attack me, regardless of the consequences. That would be fucking bad on so many fucking levels. While I was _sure_ I could possibly take Vali, the problem was that I didn't have a full grasp on my, or rather, Ddraig's powers to be _absolutely_ sure that I could do that.

A month should be enough time to effectively figure out my powers well enough.

"A-a-ah, S-Seth-san?"

I snapped my gaze up, finding the familiar blonde hair and green eyes of the only nun worth mentioning in this world. She was wearing a blue floral sundress, one that was conservative enough to stop just below her knees, and it exposed her slender arms and went surprisingly well with her figure.

"You look _great_ Asia."

She blushed at the compliment.

Much Kawaii. Much cuteness.

"Try on the others as well. Don't feel shy or anything – I've got you covered."

"I – I couldn't _possibly_ –"

"Asia." I said, calmly. "You don't have any clothes other than that nun's outfit you were wearing before."

She winced a bit, before looking down. "N-no. How d-did you –"

"I overheard when you said you excommunicated." I said, before closing my eyes. "So, I'm going to take care of you, best I can."

"I – I – I don't know how I can t-thank you –"

I waved her off. "You're welcome. Now, go on, try out the others, and don't forget to pick some matching bags and shoes."

She left, returning to the changing rooms, and I slumped a bit backwards in my seat. My mind was awhirl with different thoughts, even as I closed my eyes and tried to categorize which were the most prominent. Ddraig's years and years of experience _was_ changing me, more than that, his powers, as I came to realize, had a passive effect.

The reason my ears were so sensitive and sharp enough to hear a conversation miles away, was because of it. It was _boosting_ my hearing. But more than that, it was gradually boosting _everything_.

In enough time, I could tell, _all_ my senses would be augmented by the passive effects. Though, this would probably take a long, long, while naturally, unless I decided to consciously speed it up.

I wasn't in any real rush to do so, however.

I listened to the sound of the final bell ringing in Kuoh Academy, to the hustle and bustle of students leaving school, the echoes and whispers and comments that passed their lips, and something struck me, a brief epiphany.

One thing I never understood about the canon timeline was how _incredibly rushed_ everything was.

A year, to devils, and most supernatural creatures, should have felt, at the very least, like _one hour_. Their long lifespans meant that they could afford to fucking chill around and relax and not be too damn in a hurry to do stuff or get results. In comparison to humans, whose average life expectancy was less than a century, devils could chill.

A human being spending four years in college, and an additional two to five years attaining a Master's Degree and a Doctorate was seen as essentially using a whole _decade_ of their lives, and it was a significant investment of their time. Once they'd picked that choice, that was it. They couldn't spend another decade in another field, and then go to another field and spend another decade again in pursuit of a different branch of knowledge. Why?

 _Because their time was running out_.

Humans had goals based on their finite lifespans. Finish High School at 18. Finish college at 22. Get a job at 25. Marry at 29. Retire at 40. Read my grandkids a bedtime story at 65.

A schedule because once their youth ran out, it was over. Game. Over. Their life had come to an end.

But devils and supernatural beings?

 _They didn't have this schedule_.

Their society _should_ have somewhat resembled that of the Asari race from the Mass Effect series. Spending their first hundred years experimenting and seeking knowledge, being as promiscuous and lavish as possible with their lives. Then, a few hundred years later, entering a Matriarch Stage where they would sire offspring and take care of them. Finally, the last stage where they'd be councilors and advisers to their people, due to their vast experience from centuries of living.

It should have been even _better_ , because, unless they were _killed_ , they would live on indefinitely and had the benefits of youth still on their side.

However, they seemed to mimic humans by putting schedules and acting as though their time was finite. It made no fucking sense whatsoever.

A particular sound reached my ears, more accurately, it was the _lack_ of sound, along with a notorious increase in the heartbeats of the women around me. My ears, when _really_ focusing, could even begin to hear the sounds of shortened breaths, of awkward shuffling and rubbing of thighs, amongst _other_ things I did my best to avoid focusing on.

I rubbed my nose in irritation, closing my eyes as the light, perfectly monitored footsteps approached me, and _somehow_ I just knew who this had to be.

"Azazel." I spoke. "Nice of you to finally show up."

I didn't bother opening my eyes, because Ddraig's memories assured me that looking directly at Azazel would be a very bad move. The Fallen Angel was the embodiment of Lust and Worldly Desire, and whilst I was _pretty confident_ in my sexuality, I was dealing with someone who'd been an expert of seduction from long before Cleopatra was old enough to have tits. Judging by how I could _hear_ the arousal of numerous people, and what exactly they were doing with it, I was going to take my chances and keep my eyes closed.

There was silence for a moment.

Then, I heard a smooth, melodious laugh. "I'd ask how you knew it was me, but I don't think you'd tell me."

I snorted. "What other being in this world could make a woman rush into the toilet to masturbate just from seeing you?"

"You make it sound likeit's common knowledge." Azazel said, sounding amused.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't." I added dryly. "So, Raynare finally told you I was back in town, or was it Vali nearly starting a slugfest in broad daylight that brought you out of your Batcave?"

I wondered if he was smiling. "Vali's a bit… difficult, to handle. But he generally means well." Azazel said. "Don't worry, I made sure no one would who saw you would remember anything about a gaijin and a bishounen."

"…Well, look at you, running damage control and actually cleaning up after your subordinate's messes for once."

"For _once_?"

 _Ah, shit._

"Raynare's little party band." I said quickly. "Stole, robbed, attacked people, and pretty much fucked up on the whole subtlety aspect of things."

"That's why you attacked them?"

"And because I was bored." I added. "Never discount boredom as a possible motivator."

I heard a chuckle. "Indeed."

There was a moment of silence, and I heard footsteps incoming.

"If you don't mind, there's a nun on her way, and I'd rather prefer it if she didn't meet the Fallen Angel that's the personification of lust." I said simply. "You know where I live. Hit me up and we can chat better over some drinks."

"You're going to drink with your eyes closed?"

I thought about that, for a brief second, before opening my eyes and facing Azazel.

 _Oh my god he's so – so – so –_

"Huh. I actually thought you'd be better looking." I said, squinting a bit. "I mean I can _see_ why people would fall all over you, but honestly, Raynare's got you beat. Maybe it's because you don't have breasts?"

Azazel _laughed_.

"Maybe."

Slowly, Azazel turned around, still laughing as he walked off.

"I'll be holding you to that drink, Red Dragon Emperor."

"Just as long as you come along with something in exchange," I called out to him, "I'm running a bar, not a bloody charity."

Azazel vanished. My ears couldn't hear either his footsteps, or his heartbeat, or give any sign or indication that he was still in the area. Fittingly, one of the women in the restroom stalls muffled her moans from her orgasm.

 _Fucking Fallen Angels –_

I laid back in my seat, closing my eyes.

 _Damn he's so fucking cool_.

"Seth-san?"

Asia stood over me, holding the clothes she picked out, and I smiled at her.

"Time to go home."

In the end, my goal hadn't changed.

I'd still collect all the waifus I wanted, but, who said I couldn't help them be _happy_ along the way?

 _Happy sex is best sex after all._

A large growl interrupted my thoughts. Asia did a perfect imitation of a beetroot.

"You're still hungry, aren't you?"

A slow, shy nod.

I laughed. "Do you want another sweetroll?"

"Can I?"

A large smile appeared made its way to my face.

"As long as you're with me," I slowly placed my hand on her head, patting her gently. "You can have anything you want."

It was only a matter of time, a matter of constant kindness, a matter of smiles and showing her care and compassion, a matter of boosting her confidence and caring to her needs, and eventually –

 _She'd be_ _mine_.


	9. Boosted Senses Can Drive You Crazy

**Ah, the motherfucking beautiful power of the internet! Fuck, I'm gonna break my edgelord ways and admit you guys are awesome. I'd barely begin processing the steps to tell the fucker stealing my story to go give himself an enema with liquid nitrogen, and bam, the coward deleted the chapters.**

 **Oh, I'm not fucking letting him off easy, but knowing that you guys got my back gave me this warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach that's usually reserved for spicy foods. So... Thank you. And here's an early update, as a way to show my thanks.**

 **And... let's get back to being dark and edgy now before I lose my reputation as Fan Fiction's greatest Edge Lord.**

 **Razor Blades! Rape Jokes! Necrophilia! Edgar Allen Poe!**

 **EVIIIL!**

* * *

 **Kuoh**

 **Dead Man's Drink**

 **Night**

 _Breathe in_.

I sat in a meditating position in the 'dungeon' of my bar. Around me, six unlit candles lay in a hexagonal pattern.

 _Breathe out_.

My eyes were closed, even as I felt the stirring of magical energy deep within me.

 _Breathe in_.

My hand glowed with the light of a charged spell, and one by one, I watched as the candles lit up, the flames illuminating the dark room.

 _Breathe out_.

I focused on each of the flames that I could _hear_. That I could _feel_. Crackling heat, intensity, power, all of which was the embodiment of Ddraig, the embodiment of what it meant to be a Dragon.

 _Breathe in_.

Then, I focused on my power, the newest, and arguably hardest one to get down.

"[ **Boost** ]."

Rather than the flames flickering a bit brighter, they _soared_ , surrounding me in a small prison of six brilliant walls of fire, instantaneously melting the candles, and then melting the metal stands I'd been wise enough to keep them on, and burning through the wooden floors.

The room became rank with the smell of burnt wood and I felt my right eye twitch in god-forsaken irritation.

 _Breathe out._

I stood, staring at the results and grumbled.

" _Still_ too much juice."

My ability to [ **Boost]** didn't come with some sort of filter. Rather than augmenting an object merely once or twice, doubling its attributes, I did it _over one hundred times_ , in _one_ single boost. Most objects (or people) couldn't handle the exponential increase in power. It was effectively the same as going from a paraplegic cripple to being Superman Prime all in an instant. Objects boosted would immediately explode from the sheer amount of power I was pumping through it, and while I _could_ use it on myself, even my body had fucking limits as to what it could take, and it'd drain my health and stamina at an absurd rate.

While in [ **Boost x100]** all my shouts would be bullshittingly powerful, as well as my punches and my speed, but I didn't have _any_ control or finesse over it at all. I'd try to take a step forward, only to find myself soaring awkwardly in the air and looking down at a crater, because I put too much power into a single footstep. I'd want to swat a fly out of the air, only to end up creating shockwaves that blew me back. It was a good thing I'd been smart enough to test that out on a mostly-deserted beach. It was overwhelming fucking power without a _lick_ of control to use it, and it drained my health, _fast_.

My goal was to be able to fucking make sure that I was combat ready in a month so I could fight Vali and any other comers who wanted to get a piece of me. Of course, this meant learning to use the Boosted Gear with Training Wheels.

Ddraig never needed to hold back. He was a dragon, and hence, having all that much power in his large body meant it was distributed equally. Even more so, he was _used_ to it, and used to having even _more_ than just a measly 100 boosts. The Welsh Dragon had never needed to boost just a mere once, or a mere ten times. No, his _minimum_ boost amount was a 100 in one go, which was why I was having problems minimizing the output, because Ddraig had never seen a need to do that. I mean, why would he?

"Ugh… back to the fucking training montage. But first…"

I took a moment to attune my ears to Kuoh, listening to see if there was anything of remote interest going on.

Up above, I could hear Asia's beating heart, along with the quiet, rhythmic sound of her breathing. I'd given her my bed for now, and was foregoing sleep for the meantime. I'd probably buy a new (or larger) bed later – but, priorities came first.

Leaving the room, I listened to the nightlife. The sound of trains on their runs, people still moving up and about despite the time, and, of course, the red light districts, which, in numerous rooms, were filled with grunts, moans and squeals.

 _Horny fuckers_. I thought in amusement. _Pun intended._ I listened past that, searching all of Kuoh for something else of interest – or _someone_ else of interest. It had almost become second nature to eavesdrop on them now, amusingly as it was, if I used my natural hearing and combined it with my **[Clairvoyance]** spell, I could actually _scry_ on them.

"I don't fucking get it," a man said, "What's so fucking special about this shitty Vampire that Azazel had to issue us a warning to stay away from him unless we wanted to die?"

"For the last time Selzen," another woman spoke, I recognized her voice. "That _Vampire_ , is also the _Red Dragon Emperor_ , and as it happens, Azazel- _sama_ and Vali both have an interest in him."

"Pft. So fucking what? He gets a free pass to do whatever the fuck he wants? He's got the Witch living with him!"

"She has his protection. Going after her would be ill-advised."

"After all the shitty stress I went through to fucking get her? We just hand her over, just like that?"

"Yes. Now, if you're done wasting my time?"

"Fuck." Freed said. "So what the fucking hell are we supposed to do now?"

Silence, then, she responded. "Kokabiel-sama has ordered us to... _run interference_ with the devils."

"Does your shitty wet dream know you're cheating on him with another, shittier wet dream? Eh, Raynare?" Freed said with a laugh. "Ever the thirsty bitch. I guess if you can't deepthroat Azazel's cock, going after Kokabiel's must be the next best thing."

The sound of a loud smack hit my ears.

"You fucking _cunt_ –"

"The only reason I tolerate you is because of your unique skillset in _acquiring_ things and _handling_ the dirty work." Raynare said, her voice frosty. "Do not believe for a second that you are irreplaceable, Freed. Do not even think for a second, that I _value_ your presence. I was alive before you existence was even a possibility, and I'll be here long after you kick the bucket. _Know your place_."

I whistled. _Wow._

"Kokabiel-sama is transparent enough in his wishes. He wanted you to steal the Holy Swords from their places around the world. He was hoping that it can be enough to draw the ire of the church here to Kuoh and re-ignite the Holy War." I heard her say.

Wait, _wanted?_

" _Wanted_?" Freed asked. "So, what, he changed his shitty mind?"

"The Church is sending two or three exorcists here to investigate the power spike." Raynare said. "Rather than go through the effort of stealing Excaliburs – he wants you to… _do your thing_ with them, and make it look like it was the fault of the devils."

"Hah! My fucking reputation precedes me! Even a fucking _Cadre Class_ knows how good I am."

"Yes, tales of how you brutally rape and murder women and children you deem as 'heretics' have reached the ears of higher beings. Congratulations." Raynare said tonelessly. "Just make it convincing enough for them to believe it was the Devils who did it. Then, do the same to a few members of the devils' peerage. They'll be too enraged and livid at the insult, and if rumors are to be believed about the Gremory Heiress, she's rather attached to her peerage. She'd attack first and ask questions later. If all goes as planned, the war restarts."

I rubbed my ears, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath as I listened to that tidbit of information.

"You know, what the fuck do you get from any of this anyway? You're a four-winged fallen angel now, so it can't be power you want. Me? I want to just get the chance to slaughter as many heretics as I can. But I can't figure out what _you_ get from any of this."

I wondered the same thing as well.

"That's none of your business Selzen. Just do your part, and I'll do mine."

"And… what exactly _is_ your shitty part?"

"None. Of. Your. Business."

"Ugh, fucking bitch."

I stopped listening to that particular conversation, mulling over the information in my mind. _I'd pushed up Kokabiel's time-table_. In canon, exorcists hadn't been dispatched to Kuoh until after the excaliburs had already been stolen, but, I'd provided an opportunity for them to be sent earlier, and hence, a different, more brutal opportunity for Kokabiel to use and restart the war.

And of course, _what exactly_ was Azazel doing to stop any of this?

 _Bloody lazy-ass son of a bitch –_

Sigh. It wasn't any of my business. Well, unless potential waifus were harmed.

I focused my hearing elsewhere, most particularly around the small motel where the Fallen Angels were using as their new base. They didn't have any grunts anymore, or any exorcist members to do their bidding, so, the only other people I could hear were…

"Oh god, please, please!"

The cracking of a whip against skin echoed against my ears, along with another scream of pain.

"You wanted to have fun with the _young beautiful girl_ , didn't you?" I heard a distinctively feminine voice giggle. "Well, isn't this fun? Isn't' it?" The cracking of a whip echoed and smacked against skin again.

"We're going to have as _much_ fun as we can!"

"OH GOD, MY COC –"

I stopped listening at the rather… _detailed_ sound of something being torn from skin. I also noted it down, that Mittelt was a grade-A sadist. I focused my hearing on another part of the motel – this part was surprisingly quiet, save for the sound of scribbling, the impressions of pen on ink, and a slight few mutterings and thoughts.

I focused on the sound of the pen on parchment, closing my eyes as I tried my hardest to comprehend the sounds, to attune fine detail to them, until, belatedly, I realized that I could _hear_ what she was writing from the sounds of how the pen scrawled across the paper before it rose and continued. I could now _hear_ _handwritings._

 _Raynare-sama and I had sex earlier today. We did it so she could regain the taint in her wings, and to her, it was a casual thing, but I couldn't help but remember just how rough and dominating she was. How she made me get on my knees and lick her like I was a dog, a desperate, horny dog –_

I blinked. _Nani the fuck?_

 _I couldn't help it. After being near Azazel-sama's aura, I couldn't stop myself. I envisioned Raynare-sama as Azazel-sama, the way she roughly took me, squeezed me, made me shudder and feel like putty in her arms –_

Okay…?

 _I serve Raynare-sama because of what she's done for me. But, I sometimes question her methods. Her motives. Would she really have killed the witch to gain her power? What did she intend to do with the power of the Twilight Healing? Wouldn't she realize that people would come to know what she'd done? Did she care at all of the consequences?_

I furrowed my eyebrows.

 _Dohnaseek clearly has not gotten over Raynare-sama. Every now and then, he takes out his frustration on any human woman who catches his fancy. He went to an alley today, to find some. Raynare-sama is so devious, she knows this, and she continues to bait him with the fact, knowing that he'd do anything for her and sticks around her just because he dreams of one day being buried within her again. I can't blame him. I wish I could be like Raynare-sama. But, I don't know how to express myself properly. I wish I wasn't so tall and didn't look so serious all the time. I want to be able to be flirtatious and coy – but the thought of acting like that embarrasses me. I'm too stiff to seduce anyone –_

 _But – it's not fair. I'm a Fallen Angel too – and – and I'm too embarrassed to have sex as wildly and freely as the rest of them. I've gone through more toys and vibrators than I've had sexual partners. What is wrong with me? Even Mittelt doesn't mind going out and rubbing herself against the crotch of any disgusting male whose gaze lingers too long on her short skirts. She doesn't even have large breasts or a defined body like I do, and yet, men lust after her. Should I take lessons from her?_

A pause.

 _No – no. I'll need to figure this out on my own. Every Fallen has their chosen path. Copying someone else isn't going to help me._

I stopped listening to the rapid scrawls, not entirely sure what to feel about the fact that _Kalawarner_ , the 'always-serious-looking' Fallen Angel was the type of individual who kept a journal, and even more so, the type of individual who scrawled her insecurities into it.

More than that, I took note of the other tidbits of information that was just abso-fucking-lutely unexpected. "Generic Bowler Hat Villain No. 1" had a thing for Raynare? When? How? In what world? I kept my ears peeled for any other sounds in the area, before instead focusing outward, on nearby alleys close to the little motel, and sure enough, I found a hit.

Thick, angry grunting reached my ears along with the echoes of skin smacking against skin.

"Raynare! Fuck! Fuck! Ah! Fuck! Raynare! Agh! Fuck! Fuck!"

 _Okaaaaaay –_

I sharply directed my hearing _away_ from that and unto practically _anything else_.

And I promptly realized that the sheer number of people who masturbated and watched porn at night was far _too fucking much_. I mean, I _knew_ that a shit ton of people watched porn and what not, and Japan _was_ becoming more and more sexless as more and more people turned to sex toys and bots, but I was in _Kuoh_ , and I could not count the number of silent 'buzzing' sounds and soft moans, along with the number of sounds of someone ripping out a tissue and rubbing furiously.

"God-fucking damn it –"

And… I was horny now. _Great_.

Asia was nowhere near ready for anything sexual, and I didn't have Sana anymore. Masturbation was a little bit odd when you've been having Grade A sex constantly. I supposed I _could_ find someone…

I listened closely, and attentively to the city, trying to see if I could find a viable solution –

A sharp _scream_ drew my attention somewhere in the industrial areas of town.

" _Well well, don't you have just the most delicious smell?"_

The sound of the heavy movements of something _not_ human reached my ears, followed by the quick, brutal sound of teeth ripping into flesh, crunching bones and swallowing blood.

…Hmm… I was hoping of something a bit more my speed like another rogue exorcist, but…

A stray devil is fine too.

* * *

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **Kuoh**

 **Old Abandoned Warehouse**

 **4:02 AM**

"M-monster – gurk!"

"Coming from _you_? What is it with you devils and irony?"

Viser grit her teeth and wondered how this could be happening. How she, of all people, with all the power she'd attained from feeding on those humans, could be getting beaten so easily. How was it so? How did this enemy not realize that it was her right to conquer and devour him? To sink her teeth into his flesh and moan as chewed on bone and sinew? How dare he defy her? How dare he – this – this –

 _Thing!_

She glanced up at the man dressed in a casual outfit of shorts, _flip-flops_ and _no shirt_ , and he yawned as his foot slammed into her throat and sent her careening to the ground as though he'd kicked a softball.

"Y'know, I'm seriously fucking wondering, does beating you up count as violence against women, or animal abuse?"

She roared out in rage.

"TAKE THIS!"

Her monstrous form enabled her the ability to shoot out powerful attacks from her nipples. It was her invincible attack! No one could dodge it! No one could escape it! They would be mesmerized by her top form and fail to dodge as they were melted into a puddle of goo that she would delight in slurping dry.

She rubbed and caressed them, feeling the sensual pleasure from them, before launching it – her finishing attack –

And the attack struck the strange, tall, red-eyed _monster_ –

And did absolutely nothing except melt his shorts and leave him standing in the buff.

"… Your attack is so weak, my natural **Magic Resistance** shrugged it off. Fuck… that's just… sad."

 _RAAAAGH!_

Viser was getting more and more incensed as the situation grew on.

 _HOW?!_

 _HOW?!_

 _HOW?_

 _SHE WAS INVINCIBLE!_

"Now that I think about it, **Magical Resistance** is pretty fucking broken. I wonder if it applies to every magic, or if some of the higher tier ones like the **Power of Destruction** or **Godly Magics** can break through?" He mused, before shaking his head. "Then again, it's also possible that you're just _too fucking_ weak to actually damage me, magic resistance or not."

With a shrug, a new pair of pants appeared out of _nowhere_ , and restored his modesty, leaving Viser feeling more and more irritated.

"YOU DISGUSTING LITTLE PEST! I'M GOING TO –"

" **WULD.** "

In a burst of speed that left her unable to as much as trace his movements, he was in front of her, with what seemed like a katana in hand. The blade sliced down, making her cry out in rage and pain as it left a smooth, but clearly superficial would across her large voluptuous breasts.

The problem was, despite the wound being superficial, _it burned –_ it burned and burned and stung like she'd been sliced a hundred times over, and worse than that, she felt herself become lethargic. She felt as though she'd somehow suddenly ran an entire marathon, or as though she'd been swimming in circles for hours straight, and grit her teeth as strength left her legs.

"… so, weapons with the **Absorb Stamina** enchantments are definitely going to be far more effective than I thought… people can actually die or pass out if they don't have any energy in real life…"

"Y-you –" she croaked out, barely managing to find the strength to speak "W-what did you do –"

" **GAAN –** "

An eerie sense of _wrongness_ echoed in the world, and Viser could only stare in horror as the monster's spoke, and she collapsed entirely, lacking the strength and energy to as much as _raise her head_.

" **LAH –** "

She felt it, her _magic_ , her _power_ , the very core and essence of her being, all the magical power she'd accumulated from eating humans after becoming a stray devil – all of it – vanishing and being sucked out like an eager child with a straw. She stared on helplessly in horror, as most of her monstrous transformation faded away along with her magical power, coaxed from her body, and reverting her lower half to a humanoid form.

" **HAAS.** "

She was _aging._ No – not just aging – she was _dying_. Aging at an accelerated pace – however, fortunate it was that she was a devil, and hence, she could not die from old age. She knew that if she were anything but a supernatural being, she would have been reduced to dust in seconds.

The ever silent sound of footsteps reached her ears, and Viser began to feel true dread for the first time in years. Despite her enhanced hearing, the sound of the monster's feet could barely reach her. Yet, she could not move, she did not have the strength to raise a finger, yet alone her head. She was, in every single way imaginable, beaten, defeated, and conquered. Her monstrous form was gone, and now, she lay, naked, helpless, a trophy.

"And three fucking cheers for the [ **Drain Vitality]** Shout. That's some real nasty shit right there." He muttered under his breath again, and the sound was close enough for Viser to realize that he was standing directly above her.

"Oi – stray, are you dead? Reply 'Please fuck me' if you're alive, and say nothing if you're dead and want me to do it anyway."

She couldn't answer even if she wanted to. Instead, she felt a foot casually flip her over, leaving her from lying on her stomach to lying on her back, enabling the monster a full view of all her features.

"Hmm? Oh, nope. Still alive." He said dryly, before shaking his head. "So, I'm going to take that as affirmative consent."

She would have roared at him in defiance if she could. Instead, she settled for a noisy, indiscriminate groan, which was all she was capable of mustering at the moment.

"This should probably bring up some kinda moral dilemma. I mean, you were _eating people_ and all – but does that mean you're fair game?" He paused, before staring down at her. "… and now that you actually have a pair of legs to go with that body and don't look like a fucking monster from a virgin choir boy's nightmares, you're actually not that bad-looking."

Was this _monster_ going to just stand there and listen to himself talk?

"But really – nipple acid. What the fuck. What possessed you to create such a retarded magical attack? Nipple acid? I mean come _fucking_ on."

She let out a grunt of indignation, one which seemed as though she was going to respond to that, and he seemed to realize it. His red eyes sparkled in amusement.

"Oh? You've got something to say for yourself? Well then – talk." A small vial appeared in his hand, possessing a green liquid within it. She stared at it warily, but had no strength to stop him from opening her mouth and pouring the contents down her throat.

It tasted unsurprisingly slimy and smooth, going down her throat with little difficulty despite her best attempts to stop herself from swallowing it. He made her drink the whole bottle, before tossing the vial aside, and stepping back.

She realized she could move her body again. _Strength_ rushed through her body and form, energy and vitality of the likes she hadn't felt in a long, long time. It was like being drunk and being on a caffeine buzz at the same time, and the sudden change from barely having enough strength to lift her finger, to suddenly feeling like she could run a marathon was extremely jarring.

She leapt to her feet in one smooth movement – only to fumble and fall as she realized it had been a while since she walked on just two legs.

The monster let out a bark of laughter, before shaking his head. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself about the Nipple Acid Thing?"

What did she have to say for herself?

"DIE!"

At point-blank range, there was no way he could –

She immediately collapsed back to the ground, her body wracked with pain and unease.

 _What in the world –_

"What I gave you restored your **Stamina**. Not so much for your magic reserves."

She turned her gaze to stare at him in shock.

"So are you going to tell me about the nipple acid or…?"

Viser stared at the possibly insane monster in front of her. " _What_ are you?"

The monster shrugged, casually. "I could go with: Your worst nightmare, your savior, or your Pimp. Depends on which one you feel is more accurate."

He then casually craned his neck. "I'm kinda taking things slowly, but _fuck_ this entire city is filled with horny fuckers, and listening to all of them without getting some action of my own is _really_ starting to get on my fucking nerves. You'd think being the Red Dragon Emperor would get you an entourage of beautiful women all lining up to suck your dick, but _noooo,_ all I got was a white guy who wanted to kill me."

Viser's blood ran cold. Slowly, clarity was entering her mind. That _title_ …

" **Red Dragon Emperor**?"

The monster turned his gaze at her, and then, he _smiled_ , letting sharp fangs show in his teeth as his eyes glinted a maddening blood-red light. "Oh? You couldn't tell?"

Viser felt the fear deep in her heart. "W-w-what do you want with me?"

He shrugged both shoulders casually. "Oh, nothing really. I'm just here to fuck you senseless, and maybe hear myself talk a bit."

She gawked.

"Hey, you're a stray devil– meaning, you'll be hunted down for the rest of your existence either by the church or by devils, and will eventually be cornered down and killed." The Vampire explained. "That means, you're essentially a fucking dead person walking. I can _literally_ do whatever I want with you because you're marked for death. Who are you going to tell? The devils? The Exorcists? I highly doubt they'd take the time to listen to the interesting tale of how the Red Dragon Emperor pinned you down and made you scream for hours."

…

"But, arguably, it'd be better if you went into this whole deal _willingly_. It'd be more enjoyable that way." He said.

She was confused. What was she supposed to say?

The Red Dragon Emperor's words struck at her, the reality and bluntness of it smashing her in the face.

 _She would be hunted forever._

Her destiny was one she never gave thought to, because all she did was go on, day after day, feeding her hunger and sating her desires with no real thought for the future. Today could have been the day she died, had the Dragon decided he was not horny, he would have killed her without a second thought.

She had arguably lost a good deal of her sanity. A good deal of her ability to reason. A part of her knew that this was the cost and price of gaining her power the way she did.

"How… how did you find me?" she asked, desperately trying to buy time to compose her thoughts.

"You chew too loudly." He said bluntly.

Viser stared in confusion.

"Also, your attempt to buy time is way too fucking obvious."

Viser grit her teeth.

Then, she did the only thing she thought she could do in this situation.

She turned around, and ran.

"… you've got to be fucking with me." She heard him mutter. Before, eventually, he uttered a follow-up word. "Freeze."

Cold, piercing, indescribable cold claimed her, and with it, came darkness.

* * *

XXXX

* * *

I stared at the completely frozen solid body in front of me, and coughed awkwardly as I realized that…

I'd accidentally killed her.

…Whoops?

Her health was low enough that the frost damage from the **[Frostbite]** spell did her in effortlessly.

 _Jesus Christ… how weak was this woman to have been killed by my lowest level Ice spell?_

Her entire body was covered with frostbites in the span of a second. Her blood and all other liquids most likely froze over in her own body, and with everything frozen – well, it was pretty damned obvious that she'd die.

What did surprise me, was the fact that I got _loot_ from this.

 **Stray Devil Heart**

 **Stray Devil Nails**

 **Stray Devil Meat**

…

I stared at the last one for a bit longer than was necessary.

 _Okay… gonna pretend like I didn't see that shit –_

Viser would have been killed by Rias and friends regardless, so it was not a significant loss to the world, or to _anyone_ really – and if I was being honest, she was like a much-less hotter version of Raynare.

The only real loss was here was the fact that I was _still_ horny, and wasn't sure how I'd go about solving this problem. So it was just me, standing over the partially frozen, naked body of a devil woman, in an abandoned warehouse, late at night.

I'd be damned if this didn't sound a little bit fucking sinister.

"Might as well get some use out of your dead body…" I paused. "…aaand that sounded fucking creepier out loud than it did in my head. It's not like I don't have experience with this sort of thing anyway…"

A Master-Level **Conjuration** spell was going to be the star tonight.

I loomed over the dead body, before immediately channeling the magic to both of my hands, slowly, but certainly, making the movements required to cast the complicated spell, and then charging it with as much magicka as I could. The energy was cold, but still felt perfectly natural, and I unleashed it upon the body in front of me.

 **[Dead Thrall** ].

One of the special spells attained from completing the master-level conjuration quest, which resurrected a dead body to fight for you permanently.

The spell hit Viser's body, and I waited.

Unlike the game animation in which the body floated and rose, nothing of the sort happened here. Instead, Viser's eyes merely snapped open, blinking, and she rose from the ground on her own free will, standing, confusion clear in her eyes.

"I'm… alive?"

 _Nani the fuck?_

"You can talk." I stated the obvious. "Re-animated Zombies could never do anything except fucking grunt and moan… but you can actually talk." _Issei couldn't talk when I brought him back as a zombie with the [_ _ **Soul Tear]**_ _shout…_

Was this a difference caused by this world, or by the spell? There _were_ Dullahan and _Grim Reapers_ in this world with sentience, was it so out of place that a Zombie would have one as well? Also, now that I thought about it, wasn't the [ **Dead Thrall]** spell supposed to work on only humans? Did I just fucking revive a _devil_ from beyond the grave as a _zombie_?

Was she a devil-zombie? A zombie-devil?

"Why am I so cold? Why – why is my heart not beating?! What have you done to me?!" she roared in my direction, before lunging at me.

"Stop."

Her entire body froze in place, and her eyes widened. "I – I can't move –"

 _She obeys my orders? Huh._

"Jump."

She leapt six feet off the ground, reminding me of the fact that devils could jump _pretty_ high. "W-what are you doing?!"

"Twirl."

She daintily spun her body around. "Suffering t-this humiliation –"

"Backflip."

She did one with a flair, spinning and landing with both her feet together like she was an Olympic gymnast. "You'll pay dearly for this!"

"Shadowbox."

She began jabbing the air with her fists, making me blink a bit at the speed in which her punches connected to the air. Each one blurred a bit, and I had to narrow my eyes a bit to be able to focus on them. Fuck, Muhammed Ali had nothing on this girl. And I was also pretty sure she was nowhere near that fast before I resurrected her.

A manic grin appeared on my face as I rubbed an imaginary beard and stared at her.

"W-why are you looking at me like that?!"

"Dance… Thriller."

Ha! Ha! _HAHAHAHAHAHA!_

I promptly _lost it_ and began laughing at the sight of the literal thriller zombie. _My_ thriller zombie. Viser grit her teeth as she promptly moved to the motions of Michael Jackson's song, albeit there was no music currently playing.

"Pfffft! There's no way I'm _not_ recording this." I reached into my inventory, grabbing my iPhone and immediately set on the camera.

Viser was ranting some indiscriminate amount of swear words to hide her obvious discomfort and embarrassment, and I tuned them all out as I cackled at the sight of my very own Thriller Zombie.

 _This is bloody fun!_

Fuck blue balls. I'd take it anytime as long as I was able to experience comedy like this. How many people in the world could claim they'd actually made a zombie dance like a zombie?

I let her keep at it for a while before stopping the recording and ordering her to stop.

 _So she follows all my orders. But so far, I've only given mostly single word orders. So… what if they become complicated?_

She was swearing something foul again, and I honestly wondered if she was too fucking stupid to not realize her circumstances, or if she was just swearing as a defense mechanism in order to hide the fact that she was scared shitless.

I hoped that wasn't how I sounded when I swore. It was fucking irritating.

"Backflip twice, twirl, do two high-kicks and perform a split."

The instructions were followed to the letter, even as she raged at me, her face contorted in one of anger, and a little bit of discomfort. It _was_ uncomfortable to do a split while naked after-all.

"Hop on one leg, rub your belly with your left hand, and pat your head with your right."

If anyone told me, _"Seth, one day, there's gonna be a naked zombie-devil bouncing on one leg, rubbing her belly and patting her head at your command"_ I'd have thought they'd taken too many fucking sachets of acid. But lo! Lo and behold! The power at my fingertips! The creation that I had created!

I stared partially at her bouncing chest shamelessly for a bit (because fuck it, why not?) and rubbed my chin as I thought of more instructions.

"You're getting a kick out of this aren't you?!" she asked.

"Yep." I said bluntly.

"Is your dick so limp that toying around with a weak, defenseless thing gets you hard?" she snarled.

I blinked at that.

 _Bitch, are you fucking serious?_

"Weak and defenseless? Aren't you the one who eats humans as a snack? Do black people taste like oreos and white people taste like crackers? And Japanese, are they sushi, or squid? I'm just fucking curious."

"So what!" she yelled "They're just humans! Useless! Pitiful! They're livestock!"

I rubbed my nose in irritation. "If your argument at being able to do whatever you want with humans is because they're weak and pitiful, by that logic, since I'm stronger than you, why the fuck do you have a problem with me doing whatever I want with you?"

"W-w-well – I'm not just going to sit back and let you have _fun_!" Viser argued, weakly, I might add. "Considering _I'm_ _already_ _dead_ , there isn't anything left for you to do to me. I'm just a fucking puppet dancing to your fucking strings. What next, going to make me suck your cock? Would that _really_ put you in a better fucking mood? Well why not! It's not like I can fucking refuse!"

I blinked.

"Okay." I said.

"…what?" the confusion in her voice was almost visible.

"Since you're offering –"

I gestured down.

"Suck."

* * *

XXXXX

* * *

It was easy enough to track him.

Even without trying, even when suppressing the _monstrous_ amount of energy that he possessed, he stood out to her senses. He had the most unique scent that she'd ever perceived. Most people's smells were attuned to the products and items that came with living in the modern world. Bathing soap, detergents, creams, lotions – etcetera. More than that however, they also possessed a smell accompanied with the environment. People who'd spent a very long time in cities with high smoke and pollution always had a different smell from people who'd spent a long time living in a small town powered by windmills and solar panels.

Her sense of smell was one of the benefits of her race, but at the same time, it was one of the disadvantages. She knew at all times, who ate what, or who was _doing_ what. When she could smell a different body odor or perfume on someone, it was often a good indicator as to what the person had been doing.

There were other tells, for instance, like the smell of _blood_ , which told her a lot of private information that she didn't care to know.

It also brought her back to _why_ it was so easy to track him down.

The _Dragon_ , smelled of more blood than she felt should have been possible. His entire _existence_ was bathed in blood. Blood. So much of it. His smell was like walking into an abattoir where rather than meat being harvested, only the blood was. The blood of men, women, old, young, monsters, creatures, demons, and most prominently –

 _Dragons._

The blood of dragons reeked all over him.

She was not a fool.

No, she was no fool at all.

From his scent, from the sheer amount of blood on his form, she knew that it was impossible for her King to defeat him. Even if her King were to team up with a rival, they would only be adding more to the casualties rather than making a difference.

She'd told her king her discoveries, of course.

"He smells of blood." She said. "Dragon. A lot of blood."

Her King smiled down at her, neither understanding nor comprehending the danger.

"Thank you Koneko-chan." Rias said, before turning her gaze straight ahead. "This is _my_ city – and I believe it's time we meet our unwelcome guest."

"He smells of blood." She repeated.

"Thank you, Koneko-chan, I heard you –"

"A lot of blood." She repeated again. "Blood. Plenty blood. Too much blood. _Too much_. Too much –"

She involuntary shuddered. The only way that someone could reek of that much blood was if they committed a massacre. No, not a massacre, _a genocide_. The complete and utter annihilation of an entire species. It meant killing a large enough number, and being bathed constantly in the liquid, that the smell of blood had merged and become natural on your person. That the smell of blood simply became a part of you. Even worse, the blood that smelled so natural on him was that of humans. Then, that of dragons came up at a very close second.

Killing one dragon was already a feat that she could not begin to imagine. So what did it take to kill five? Ten? A hundred? _A thousand?_

"Koneko-chan, calm down," her king said, and she realized that she'd never stopped repeating the words ' _too much_ '. She realized that she'd never stopped shuddering, and her shudders were more intense, the appropriate term being: _trembling._

There was concern in her King's eyes now. A thick concern, and no small amount of apprehension and worry. Wisely, Koneko kept her mouth shut. She stopped herself from revealing her emotions, stopping herself from shaking, before turning her gaze elsewhere, unable to keep looking at her King's eyes.

"Ara… if this individual is capable of eliciting such a response from Koneko-chan," her Queen spoke, and despite the smile blatantly present on her face, one could tell that it was forced, crooked, and people who knew her well enough could tell from her stiff body posture that she was unnerved. "Is it such a wise idea to approach him alone, Buchou?"

Her King crossed her arms. "I'm not alone. _We're_ approaching him together."

"That being said buchou," the Knight spoke, his voice unusually unsure. "…Shouldn't we wait for Sona-Kaicho and her peerage, and approach him together?"

Her King's lips thinned a bit. "Despite Sona's presence here, Kuoh is _my_ territory first and foremost. I don't have to wait for Sona's approval to investigate a dangerous figure in my territory."

"Fufufufu, buchou, I hope this isn't about Sona calling you lazy?" Akeno asked, a little bit of mirth on her features. "I wasn't aware it upset you so much."

"It _didn't_." Her King spoke, but Koneko could tell it wasn't so. She could tell, immediately, that it entirely was. Her King paradoxically wore her emotions on her sleeve, and her ability to blatantly lie to people was atrocious. "B-besides, we also have a vested interest in meeting this figure, and perhaps, lure him to our side."

Koneko didn't know what was worse, them _succeeding_ , or them failing.

"We will not be initiating combat. Hopefully, this can be resolved in a peaceful, _amicable_ manner –"

Koneko sometimes found the innocence and naiveté of her King to be amusing. _Sometimes_ , was the keyword. She didn't have the chance to be so naïve, not since she was young and bought like a toy, her freedom and rights being sold to the highest bidder. Not since she was chained and starved, insulted and belittled, and then watched as the only person she ever loved her went mad with power and abandoned her.

Rias was a far nicer master than her old one. But in the deepest recesses of her mind, there was the mocking voice that told her that she hadn't gained her freedom. She hadn't broken free from her chains.

She'd merely let it change hands.

"…stand Koneko-chan?"

Her _name_ being called drew her attention. Her King frowned at her.

"I understand you're uncomfortable Koneko-chan, but you don't have to be worry, I won't let anything happen to you." Her King said. "You are part of my precious family after all."

Her King believed it. She really, truly believed it. The problem was, Koneko wasn't sure if she could. She wasn't sure if she _wanted_ to. The last person that she felt was family had disregarded her existence like she was an inconvenience. This was her own flesh and blood. How long would it take, before someone else did the same? Would it be the first time she failed? The first time she protested against something? The first time she stood her ground and held a strong opinion of her own?

She never knew when that moment would come.

She _dreaded_ when that moment would come.

Rias was a good master. Even though she changed her name to _Little Kitten_ , the equivalent of naming an African child _Little-Nigger_. _Neko_ was not a slur, but when all you focused on was the fact that she happened to possess cat-like appearances, and that _nekomata_ were a _near-extinct_ race, it might have well be.

But Rias was a good master. She made her dress up in 'cute' clothes and constantly combed her hair and bathed her. She gave her treats and snacks, made sure she was constantly happy. All she had to do in exchange was sit or rest on her lap every now and then and act cute.

Truly, Rias was a good master. Even though she treated Koneko more like an exotic pet than a person.

Rias was a good master. Because being a pet was arguably far better than being a slave.

"Are you ready, Koneko-chan?"

Koneko took in a deep breath.

"Hai."

* * *

 **XXXXXX**

* * *

They arrived in a flash of light, the Gremory magic circle circling itself around the ground. Already, Koneko took a stance, her heart thumping heavily in her chest in anticipation for the eventual conflict they would face. She sniffed the air, searching for the thick scent of blood that accompanied the dragon –

"There's… no one here?"

Koneko couldn't help the surprise that came up on her face.

"Are you sure this is the place, Koneko-chan?"

No, _he was here._

She was _sure_ he was here –

The smell of blood was still strong. Not just strong, it was practically _overwhelming_ –

But more than that, the smell of something else… _arousal_? Sex?

She shuddered at the overwhelming smell of arousal that was in the air. It was so thick and overwhelming, and she shook her head to clear her mind. _Dragon. Pheromones_. The scent was making her a bit dizzy, affecting her more bestial urges more than it would have affected anyone else.

It was like someone was having overwhelming sex right in front of her. The scent mixed in with the smell of blood and the smell of death and –

"Koneko-chan!"

She didn't know when she crouched over and threw up.

 _Too much –_

Her King and Queen appeared by her side, immediately comforting her, rubbing her back.

"We're heading back." Her King said immediately. "I'm so sorry Koneko-chan, I – I didn't know the smell was affecting you so much –"

Koneko couldn't speak. She tried instead to stop her previous meals from blocking her throat and obstructing her airways. The smell, _the smell_ – the smell – it was close, _so close_ –

The floor lit up with the familiar magic sigil of the Gremory Clan, and, in another flash, the surroundings were changed. The comfortable room of the Occult Research Club lacked the smell of _blood and guts and sex_ –

"I'll get some water –" she heard Kiba speak.

"I shall put some tea on the fire, something to help." Akeno added.

Koneko didn't know when she'd been placed comfortably on the couch, her King looking down at her, frantic, confused, and seemingly at a loss for what to do to be useful.

"I-is… there anything I can help you with, Koneko-chan?"

The smaller girl thought it over.

"Pillows." She managed to say.

Rias nodded, immediately moving out of the room with purpose. Koneko rested on the couch, closing her eyes, only to open them when she sniffed the air and felt a smell that _didn't belong_ on her. When she _felt_ something that didn't belong on her.

With trembling fingers, she reached down her skirt, into her pocket. She found it there, a piece of paper that _reeked_ of the smell –

Slowly, shakily, she brought it out of her pocket, unfolding it, and opening it.

 _ **Ah, ah, ah – nice try Shirone. Apologies about the smell though, I knew I hadn't bathed in days, but I didn't think it'd be enough to leave such an effect on you.**_

Her blood ran cold.

 _ **Don't tell red-head, sadist-angel, or sword-jerker about this little letter. This is from me to you, two people blessed with unnatural senses. I can hear**_ **better** _ **than you can smell, and I know how frustrating it can be to notice and experience things no one else can.**_

 _ **Visit a quaint little bar in Kuoh called the Dead Man's Drink if you're looking for a chat – and maybe, I might be able to help you with a certain black cat problem.**_

 _ **Yours endearingly,**_

 _ **The Red Dragon Emperor, Seth.**_

"Koneko-chan?"

She immediately crumpled up the paper in her hand and shoved it down her mouth. She didn't know why she did it, she didn't understand it. Yet, she did. Instinctive as it was, it was the first thing that came to her mind.

She regretted it though, immediately afterwards. Despite its smell of blood, it tasted unbelievably bland and disgusting. She swallowed it regardless, turning to look at the person who'd called at her.

Kiba stood at the corner, a cup of water in his hand, his eyebrows furrowed a bit.

"Are you okay?"

She took the water, swallowing it to help rid the taste of the paper.

"Better."

* * *

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **Dead Man's Drink**

 **6:01 AM**

"This is absolutely humiliating."

"You're undead. Humiliation is an emotion meant for the living. _Suck it_ up."

I was, _arguably_ in an incredibly chipper mood come morning. Asia hadn't woken up yet, and as long as I forgot about the rather nitty-gritty details such as the fact that the pleasurable blowjob I'd gotten had technically come from a person who didn't have a pulse, then I was feeling _fucking_ great.

Most importantly though, I'd evaded meeting Rias and her peerage for now. With my enhanced hearing, I'd overheard their conversation and became aware of the fact that they were tracking me through scent.

I also didn't know that I smelled so strongly of blood – but, I guess it was kinda expected.

On another hand, being invisible and getting a blowjob was the most surreal fucking experience in the world. I actually _nutted_ for the first time once Rias and Akeno showed up. Rias was every bit as beautiful as I'd imagined, and even _more_. Breasts that defied gravity, legs that appeared as firm and soft as the backside of a newly born baby. And her _face –_

I was getting hard just remembering it.

And then there was _Akeno –_

 _FUU –_

"You're erect, _again?_ " I heard a voice complain. "Fuck. My jaw is still sore –"

I rolled my eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself. I was thinking of someone else."

"You mean the small girl you crept behind and… vanished that paper into?"

Well, I wasn't really thinking of Koneko and the little bit of _crouching_ and the reverse-pickpocketing, to place the note in her pocket. But _remembering_ her –

"Hmm… yeah." I said with a nod. "She's petite. I like petite." I allowed a grin on my face. "I also like blondes."

In front of me, Viser stood with dyed blonde hair purchased from a store, and wearing a spanking brand new outfit which was effectively a fetish waitresses outfit, stolen from a _different_ store. The skirt was incredibly on the short side, the black leggings were _tight_ , and the top was intentionally tight enough to put her breasts on proud display. Other than her pale skin, no one would ever know or ever realize that the newest bartender/waitress of the **Dead Man's Drink** , was, in fact –

 _A zombie-girl._

Viser awkwardly adjusted her skirt. "So am I a waitress or a stripper?"

"And who says you can't be both? Eye-candy is important."

She turned to give me a loath-filled look. "Oh, _joy_."

"And would you look at that, _sarcasm_." I said dryly. "She's already becoming like her _daddy_."

Viser shuddered, from the comment, and she realized that she shouldn't have, as a wicked smirk appeared across my face.

"No, don't –"

I grinned.

" _Who's your daddy?_ "

"You're not my fucking daddy!"

"Say: I love you daddy in a childish tone."

She looked as though she'd swallowed a lemon. " _I wuv you daddy_."

"Now say it like a horny teenager."

She moaned. "I, _love you daddy!_ "

"Now say it like you've been naughty."

"I've been a bad, _bad_ girl daddy –"

I didn't know how long it had been since I burst into laughter, the entire scene being a bit too surreal for my mind to fully wrap around. My ears slowly picked up the sound of shuffling and turning around in a bed, reminding me to keep my voice down lest I wake Asia.

Viser, on the other hand, didn't look all too amused with it all. Not that I could blame her. As amusing as it was to have fun messing with her, I wasn't going to be like a fucking maniac and do it all the time.

"I've been wondering," I said, once I got my laughter under control "Where do you devils go when you die?"

The question brought her out of her glaring, only for a moment, as she seemed to ponder the question.

"We –" a form of dawning realization appeared on her face. "I… don't know."

I pursed my lips. "Do you remember being dead? Before I revived you."

Her silence gave me all the answer I needed. I wasn't all too fucking surprised at that.

"So… here's the thing." I said, clearing my throat. "I can let you go… but, you'll go back to being dead _dead_ , and you're not coming back. You're not going to experience anything, laugh, or smile, or even be angry or pissed, because, you'll be _gone_."

She seemed wary.

"Or, you can continue a perpetual existence as my personal minion. Living, experiencing, and interacting with the world. As my waitress, you'll serve drinks, and I'll make you do things you _probably_ wouldn't want to do… but you'll be alive. Technically."

I smiled.

"So, would you rather be free, and die, experiencing nothing. Or remain a slave, and 'live' experiencing what you have now?"

She stared at me like I grew a second head.

"You're… giving me the choice?"

I nodded.

"Having you as my slave would only be fun if you were cool with it. Otherwise, I just feel like a jackass."

 _Of course, I could always use my [_ _ **Bend Will]**_ _shout on you if you choose to die… but best for you to think I'm a swell guy giving you the chance to pick your own destiny._

Viser seemed to think it over.

"Fuck. I'll stay."

I did my best not to let the surprise on my face show. _Huh, so I don't need to brainwash her? That's a pleasant development._

"Really?"

"I was a stray devil before this. I was _always_ going to die at a point – and I don't want to fucking die if I can help it."

"Even if you'll live as a slave?"

"There isn't anything you can make me do that I haven't done already."

I digested that information, slowly.

"…you're pretty chill for someone who was forced to suck cock a few hours ago."

"And you're not a complete scumbag for someone dabbling in necrophilia."

Was that… a clapback?

I let a grin come to my face.

"Such big words coming from the woman who invented the breast-acid attack."

Viser growled. "I wasn't myself!"

"That's what we all say when we do something monumentally stupid."

She gave me an irritated stare.

"…How old do you think I am?"

I stared at her face. It was hard to place a date, because she looked relatively youthful, and she could have been anywhere from nineteen to twenty seven.

"Twenty-five?"

She let out a snort. "Multiply that by two, and add about three years."

"Fifty-eight years old." I said in surprise. "Explains why you're so good at blowjobs."

"Fuck you." She shot back defensively. "I became a stray devil a little over five years ago. But the problem is… most strays are feral. Wild. Chaotic. _Stupid_ , I guess you could say. Without magical support from our **Kings** , we fall back to consuming humans as our source of power. But in exchange, we get this feeling invincibility and lose our ability to think, plan or strategize. We rely on nothing but our basest instincts and desires."

"And yours was to fucking shoot breast acid?"

If she had any blood, her cheeks would have flushed red. "No! It was… it was something else." She shook her head. "Whatever. Normally, this transformation is irreversible. Our sanity is lost for good – we become bottomless pits only interested in our own feeding, and the more we feed, the less sane we become. The cycle is never broken… until, well, _you_ came along."

I stared at her. "Me."

"Yes… whatever you did with those words… it drained out all of my power. All of the corrupt power inside me. It took a while, but without that power… my sanity, it began to restore. Come back. I could _think_ clearly again. Most of it was filled with anger… but I could _think_."

So _that_ was why she kept attacking me even knowing how stupid it was. It also probably explained why she actually thought taking on Rias and her Peerage was a good fucking idea. Was this _canon_ though? Fuck if I know. I'd only ever watched the anime and skimmed a few words of the Light Novel. Other than Kuroka, Viser was the only stray devil ever mentioned or shown.

"I'm guessing killing me and bringing me back also helped. Sort of like a hard reset." She stared at me, frowning. "So, I suppose I _owe_ you. If it weren't for you, I'd probably have lived out the rest of my days like a rabid dog until I got put down. I wouldn't even be given a choice of slavery or death – I'd just… be dead."

"You're… _thanking_ me?" I said, not sure if I was hearing this shit right.

"I didn't say that." She shot back immediately. "I'm just saying, all things considered, this is a far better deal than most strays would ever get."

I honestly didn't know what to say to that.

An awkward silence stretched out into the room, making me distinctly aware of it.

"So…" Viser began "Do I get paid?"

"Would you prefer your payment in cumshots or golden showers?"

"So that's a 'no,' then."

"With a 'chance in hell' affixed at the back."

Viser frowned.

"Is it too late to pick death?"

"Yes. Yes it is."

…

"Well fuck."


	10. Time Doesn't Fly When You're Having Fun

**HAPPY FUCKING NEW YEAR!**

 **WHOO!**

 **It was on this day, the 8th of January (your time zone may vary), exactly one year ago, that I joined Fan Fiction and started writing. So, yeah, it's the one year anniversary of my fucking ascension on this glorious site.**

 **AND LOOK HOW FAR WE'VE FUCKING COME! WHOO!**

 **Ah, how time flies.**

 **Enjoy, as always, dark works from your friendly neigborhood edgelord.**

* * *

 **Kuoh**

 **Central Municipal Police Station**

"Thank you very much for the opportunity."

Officer Hayate was aware that there was something wrong with his city. Kuoh, more than any other town in the country possessed the largest number of oddities and crime which seemed to often be swept underneath the rug. There were rumors and hushed whispers that this town hosted itself to unspeakable forces of evil, and though he was not entirely a religious man, Hayate often found himself agreeing. Too many odd things kept happening, and the lack of media presence or government agents in black suits and sunglasses coming to investigate clearly paranormal events just made things even worse.

Today's oddity was the duo that had come with a strange request. Almost as strange as they were dressed, in form-fitting, body-covering leather that forced him to avert his eyes and think about his wife. The one with blue hair give an intimidating aura that made Hayate wonder if she was a gangster, or a Mafioso. White cloaks covered their body-hugging outfits, and he'd wondered if they were cosplayers, but he knew in his heart that they weren't.

"There isn't really much to thank me for." He said simply. "Nasty business, what happened to the woman. I doubt you'll be able to get a word out of her…"

"I'd still like to try."

He rose his hands. _Okay. It's not like you didn't have the connections to make it anyway_. He gave a sidelong look at the second girl. Her brown hair styled into pigtails, she had the look and feel of a Japanese woman, and she was no doubt from the land of the rising sun. Foreign influences seemed to have taken it's hold on her, as her Japanese was spoken with trace amounts of an English Accent… _British huh?_

"So…" they walked through the corridors as he grabbed his keys "Who did you say you were to the woman again?"

Pigtails smiled. "A… family friend."

"Ah." Hayate grimaced, turning his gaze away. "A friend of the boy eh?"

He took her silence as confirmation.

"You've probably been gone from Japan for a long time. People… they change."

They walked in silence until they reached a large metal door.

"Why is she still here?"

The officer shrugged.

"Ongoing investigation. That, and some people with some real power are making it so she doesn't get to trial immediately."

"Why?"

"To avoid media attention – naming names," Hayate responded succinctly. "The boy – he went to Kuoh Academy. Y'know – one of the top institutions in the entire country… filled with rich kids, spoiled kids, and kids of some really powerful people. Considering the family was middle-class… it makes me wonder how they afforded it. Must have been scraping bottom barrel just to send the kid to the place… and look what that cost her."

Hayate sighed, opening the doors to the cell.

"This isn't normally allowed, but you know people in the right places so…" he checked his watch. "I'm giving you ten minutes. Don't mention names, don't mention the event, and if she starts losing it, I'm pulling the plug."

"Thank you."

He stood a bit at the door, watching as Pigtails moved into the cell, before kneeling in front of a woman with scattered red hair and frantic, insane looking eyes.

"Mrs. Hyoudou." Pigtails said. "It's me… Irina."

The woman simply stared on blankly. Hayate wanted to swear. _I knew this was a waste of time…_

"Do… do you remember me? I – I used to play with Issei when we were little –"

 _Oh no,_ _now she's done it_ –

The woman's eyes went wide, fearful, panicking as she began screaming

"Issei? Issei – Issei! ISSEI! ISSEI!" she yelled. "STOP! ISSEI! ISSEI! ISSEI! STOP! STOP! STOP!"

The woman grabbed Pigtails by the neck, forcing her down as she began screaming while choking her. "ISSEI! ISSEI! ISSEI!"

 _Oh shit –_ "I told you not to mention names damn it!"

Hayate grabbed his tool, prying insane woman off the girl before jabbing it in the side of her neck, watching as the woman went stiff from the electric current, before collapsing to the ground, out cold. He sighed, shaking his head at the scene, and at the pigtailed girl who was slowly rubbing her throat, mere seconds away from being choked out.

"Did you get what you wanted?

"…no." she croaked. "No, I didn't."

* * *

XXXXX

* * *

 **Kuoh**

 **Dead Man's Drink**

It was the most comfortable sleep she had in years.

She rolled a bit on the bed some more, her nostrils tickling as she drank in the scent of the sheets, and of her savior. Showing her more kindness than she'd deserved, he'd offered her the bed all to herself and slept elsewhere, and now, a small amount of guilt bubbled in her stomach at the realization that she'd inconvenienced him.

She set her feet on the cool floor, and almost paused at something odd. Her nightgown… had it always been this short? She was certain it was supposed to extend past her knees – Father Amos and Sister Beatrice had always been exceedingly clear about proper lengths. Was this the one she'd always worn? Now, it seemed to rest just above her knees, rather than far below them. She looked at herself and felt her cheeks flush a bit.

 _Had the material always been so transparent?_

It wasn't… was it? She could see straight through it, her nipples poked out clearly on the silky fabric, and heat rushed to her cheeks even more at the realization that her Savior had no doubt seen her in such a state. What was she to do?

She bit her lip as doubts began to swim in her mind. Her Savior had rescued her, yes, but where did they go from here? What were his intentions? She knew no one in Japan, she could barely speak the language and could not read or write it, she lacked a formal education, and she didn't know how to do housework or menial labor.

Would he just let her stay here? Doing nothing but benefiting from his kindness? Until she grew older and older and decided to leave? Could she do such a thing?

"I can see you're awake."

Her heart nearly ripped out from its chest when she heard the voice. He was standing there, right in front of her. How long had he been there? When did he get there?

"Did you sleep well?"

"A-ah, I did… it was, very nice." She bowed a bit. "T-thank you."

"What would you like to have for breakfast?" his red eyes shone brightly. "I have Apple Pie, Potato Stew, Boiled Crème Treats –"

"U-um, a-anything… would be nice."

He waved his hand, and Asia couldn't believe her eyes as a tray appeared from nowhere, along with several meals put on it. With a gesture, the tray floated in the air and softly landed on the bed.

"A-ah – t-thank you."

She ate in silence. The meal was delicious, better than anything she'd ever tasted, it had a rich, homey feel to it and she couldn't help but mumble and hum as she ate.

"I-it's really good!"

"Thank you."

The silence was beginning to bother her. He stood, just staring at her, as she ate, not saying a word, not moving a muscle, like a statue. All his warmth, his kindness, that compassion and smile she'd seen on his face – it was there… but… something was off about it. Something was bothering her Savior, and she knew it.

Had… had she done something wrong? Was… was he having second thoughts about helping her? Did she do something to offend him? Why – why wasn't he talking to her? She fidgeted nervously and bit away at her lip as she watched him stand there in silence. The lack of communication burning deep away at something in her.

"A-ah… Seth-san… is – is something wrong?"

He seemed to think it over. "Well no. Not really, it's just –" there was a conflicted look on his face. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't – it's not proper."

"Um… w-what is it?"

He looked at her, a lopsided smile on his face. "I wanted to… pat your head. But I wasn't sure if you'd be comfortable with me touching you."

That… that was it? Asia felt her cheeks burn at the realization that he was looking so serious over something like that. _Pat my head?_ It sounded… _funny_. He'd done so much for her, could she really refuse such a minor request?

"Ah – I – I don't mind." She said, feeling heat on her cheeks.

"Really?"

He moved closer, and his rich… _scent_ completely overwhelmed her. She blinked a bit, unable to comprehend why he smelt so… _good_ – so… nice. Warm. _Safe_.

"I – I don't mind…"

He reached out with his palm, and she felt that _scent_ overwhelm her again. Then, slowly, a soft, gentle hand, reached out and landed on her forehead.

 _Warm! So warm! So warm!_

Warmth spread through her body from the light action. A burning warmth that almost made her giddy, excited. She felt all forms of fatigue vanish, she felt energy rush through her, she felt comfortable from the single touch, and more than just comfortable, she felt the warmth spread through her body and send shudders running down her spine. The warmth, the thick, beautiful scent –

She rubbed her thighs together –

His hand left her head.

Clarity shot through her, and the departure of the warmth left her entire body feel _cold_. Freezing. Frosty. Whereas the warmth was comforting, the cold was alone, solitary, terrifying, and with it came fear, doubt and worry.

"Thank you for indulging me Asia-chan."

He turned around, the feeling of warmth vanishing, and she felt unbelievably cold, her fingers numb, her body and teeth on the verge of chattering.

 _He – he felt so warm –_

"S-Seth-san – you – um. You can –" heat filled her cheeks. "Pat… me… whenever you want."

A large smile that evaporated the warmth in the room appeared on his face.

"Thank you, Asia-chan."

 _Pat – he's not going to –_

"I'll be downstairs working on something. Why don't you take a shower, and when you're done, come join me?"

He left the room, leaving it feeling far colder than she would have liked.

 _Pat me…_

* * *

 **XXXXX**

* * *

"So… ah, experiment fucking success."

I chuckled to myself as I descended down the stairs, marveling at the beautiful power that was my **Boost** ability. I'd broken ground and barrier with it, and although I still couldn't reduce it from the initial [ **Boostx100** ] I'd taken it to newer applications.

The first was simple enough, boosting my natural pheromones. Considering I was part-dragon, part-vampire, two species known for exquisite amount of charm considered desirable by women, it made well and damn sure that Asia would find my smell absolutely alluring. For someone with an absurd sense of smell however, like _Koneko_ , I'd be a giant neon sign for all her instincts, all telling them to mate with me like a frantic, sex-starved beast in heat.

I got the idea after realizing that she was tracking me by the scent of blood all over my form. Now, if Koneko tried to sniff me out, she'd be too aroused to properly think straight. The effect of the boosted pheromones were more effective on supernatural women, although they wouldn't be able to tell what was at play, and I'd just smell really _really_ good.

I reached the bar, watching as Viser expertly flipped and balanced bottles on top each other in front of the bar. This was where I used my _other_ brilliant idea –

 **Boosting** Temperature **.**

I could make places and/or objects as hot as a sauna in seconds, by boosting its inherent heat, or focusing on the _lack of heat_ , I could boost it to make it feel freezing. It was aided by my Fire and Ice **Destruction** magic as a foundation, channeling a drop of it to my finger provided the necessary effects.

As it stood, Asia was currently unaware that the temperature changes she felt had not been her imagination, and she would come to associate 'warmth' with me. Coupled with the pheromones, and the fact that I'd 'adjusted' all of her outfits to be a bit shorter, a bit tighter, and a bit more revealing – I estimated two days before results of my work showed.

And that was the _pessimistic_ number.

"Whoa – what the –" Viser's eyes bulged as I walked past. "Why do you smell so… damn _musky_ – it's kinda…"

"Stimulating?" I provided.

"Well… I wouldn't say that exactly… but…" she bit her lip. "Whoa – okay, I really, _really_ want to rip off your clothes and fucking mount you right now –"

"Easy there," I said, shaking my head. "As much as I'd love to spend the whole day doing nothing but having sex – I've got shit to do."

"Yeah." She rolled her eyes. "Me."

"Cheeky." I reached over the counter, pinching her cheeks. "No, not you. Other things. I can hear the stirrings of life deep beneath water…"

She quirked an eyebrow.

" _Civilization VI_ quote, which… you don't know. Of course." I patted her lightly on her cheeks. "Never mind. Asia's going to take a shower and it'll probably be a long one. I want you to go up there… and… _be yourself_."

"…what?"

"Wash her hair, chat with her, do… whatever." I said simply. "Make sure you toss in tons of embellishment about how I'm the greatest person in the world, and make several not-so-obvious sexual comments about my cock and basically tease her until she either gets too uncomfortable with it and screams at you to stop, or passes out from the attention."

"Why would I –" she stopped once she realized her body was moving. "I'm guessing that's an order?"

"You guessed right."

Viser mumbled underneath her breath before stripping down to her undies and making her way up the stairs. "Can I at least know why?"

"Asia's nice." I said. "She's cute, innocent. Like a perfect adorable cinnamon roll. But… she's too nice. I doubt if she even realizes that her savior is a blood-sucking vampire. There should be a line drawn when kindness and niceness crosses over into stupid docility, and she needs to know the line. Otherwise, she's just going to keep getting used and thrown away like a spent tissue by the assholes of the world."

I hummed. "So she doesn't try to physically stop you after pushing her boundaries, go all the way and force yourself on her. Use your fingers, eat her pussy – whatever it takes." I rubbed my palms. "If she comes to hate you and resent you for it, we'll play that angle up. You'll be bad cop, I'll be good cop. You'll be the stick, I'll be the carrot."

There was a look in Viser's eyes, and I watched as she shuddered a little bit. "I can't tell if you're helping her or if you're just doing it for your satisfaction."

"Both." I replied easily. "I like my women with a bit of a personality, and I can't stand people who are essentially doormats that allow themselves to be walked all over without saying a word in complaint." I waved my hand. "Now, off you go. I'd like to see the outcome of this."

I watched her ascend the stairs, listening to the sound of her footsteps until, I knew for certain, that she'd reached the bathroom and opened the door.

" **TIID**."

[ **Boostx100]**

Movement stopped. Motion. Sound. Everything had come to a stop as I _froze_ time. Leisurely, I walked up the stairs, reaching the room, and then the bathroom, where a naked Viser stood at the door, and Asia, in the shower, turned to stare at her, her face frozen in embarrassment and mortification.

I drank in her naked body, glistening with water droplets, her soft, succulent looking breasts and nipples that clearly stood erect. A small patch of blonde hair stood above her crotch, and with her legs closed I couldn't see what lay beneath, but that wasn't going to be a problem for much longer.

I crouched, and casted [ **Invisibility** ] watching as my form vanished.

Then, I waited.

…

About thirty full minutes passed before I realized that I'd not only massively **Boosted** the effects of the [ **Slow Time** ] shout to stop time, I'd also boosted the _duration_.

"Well fuck."

…

"Cancel shout? Cancel? End effect?"

Except, you couldn't manually override the effects of a Shout after immediately using it.

…

"This is going to be a _long_ fucking day… isn't it?"

* * *

 **XXXXXX**

* * *

 **Kuoh**

 **Kuoh Academy**

 **Occult Research Club**

 **7:24 AM**

"You did _what?!_ "

Sona Sitri's palms slammed against the coffee table, rattling the tea prepared by Rias' Queen, as the girl's gaze bore straight into that of her best friend with clear disbelief.

"You heard me." Rias responded, childishly, Sona might add.

"Despite all the _warnings_ I gave you, despite everything I told you about the high possibility of our 'mysterious visitor' being a _Heavenly Dragon_ , you decided, on a whim, to approach him in an open area in the middle of the night, _without any back-up_?!"

"I had my peerage –"

"That is not _nearly enough!_ " Sona practically yelled. "Rias, _this is not a game_. Dragons are not like you or me – they cannot be reasoned with! Bargained with! Bought! Bribed! They are the more unpalatable members of devil society and the casual egocentrism of godly beings combined into one vessel! Dragons take whatever they want _however_ they want, and care little about any consequences!"

The sound of a kettle whistling echoed through the room. No one moved, as stillness personified itself.

Sona let out a breath of air as she composed herself, sitting back down. Across from her, her friend, Rias, did not meet her gaze. Koneko lay in Rias' lap, the red-headed heiress slowly and gingerly trailing her hands over the smaller girl's head and body.

"It doesn't matter. We didn't meet him there. Koneko-chan fell ill because of his scent, so we came back."

No one else would have noticed how the smaller girl seem to stiffen slightly at that comment. Sona noted it. She noticed it and she recognized it. Her gaze locked unto the eyes of the nekoshou, and the nekoshou turned to avoid facing her.

 _She's hiding something_. _Something to do with falling ill?_ Sona contemplated it, but pursed her lips. _No matter._

"Rias, you still seem to be missing the point. What if you had been killed?" Sona said, her voice dark. "No, death is the least troublesome of all outcomes. What if you had been captured and enslaved? Stripped down and used as a disposal bucket for this being's sexual gratification? What if Akeno had endured that? Or Koneko?"

Rias stiffened. "That would never happen."

Sona closed her eyes, slowly, doing her best to count to ten. "Statistically speaking, the odds of such an event are lower for you than for most, if only because people are aware you are the Lucifer's sister."

"Then I don't see what the problem is."

"The problem _is_ ," Sona hissed. "Had anything happened to you, Sirzechs would enter a blood-frenzy and decide to annihilate anything in his path in order to get you back, or to seek vengeance. That means war, that means unnecessary violence and setbacks that further hinder the progress of devil society!"

"Ara, ara, your overwhelming concern for buchou's life is touching, Sona-kaichou."

Sona turned her attention to Rias' Queen. The Student Council President rubbed her brows with her index and middle fingers. "Rias is my friend, yes, but it would be hard to mourn for her if the reason for she died was as a result of her own bullheaded stubbornness and obfuscating recklessness."

"Be that as it may," Rias said, a deep frown on her face as she turned to her friend, "I'm not dead. I didn't _meet_ the Heavenly Dragon – so there isn't really any need for us to dwell on this issue."

Sona opened her mouth, but, slowly, she shook her head and stopped herself.

"At times I wonder, Rias." Sona said, exasperated. "For now, the best course of action is to look the other way with this issue."

"Look the other way?"

"This is the equivalent of waking up to see a man-eating tiger lounging in your backyard. You can attempt to chase it off, possibly dying from the attempt, try to domesticate it, _undoubtedly_ dying from that attempt, or secure your doors and windows and carry on your life as though it is but a mere figment of your imagination."

Rias' nose furrowed. "You want us to pretend as though we don't know he's here? Just… let him do as he wants?"

"Yes." Sona said bluntly. "We were willing to look the other way for the few stray Fallen Angels and Exorcists that holed up in the abandoned church – I do not see any reason why we cannot do the same in this situation."

"Unless, of course, he sees our actions as cowardice and launches an unprovoked attack at us."

"Should that happen, we immediately call our siblings to settle the matter."

"You're joking."

"No, Rias, I am not." Sona said. "Due to rumors about the White Dragon Emperor being under the employ of the Fallen, we are most likely dealing with the Red Dragon Emperor, a being that can continuously boost his power beyond and above what should be feasible. A power that can effortlessly slay gods. We do not have nearly anything close to that level of fire-power on our hands, and if he attacks us with intent to kill – we have zero chance of survival."

"I don't think I've ever known you to be so cowardly, Sona."

The room was tense.

"I would prefer to be alive and be called a coward, than to be dead and remembered for bravery."

Rias locked her gaze on her friend. "That is where you and I differ."

Sona rose to her feet. "Is it?"

"You rely on your intellect and resources because you have nothing else to rely on." Rias' words came out soft, almost… _pitying_. "And because you're lacking in strength and conviction, you've come to rely on caution, _planning_ , _thinking_ , strategizing – that you've forgotten that devils, first and foremost – are beings of _emotion_ and _instinct._ "

"How dare you –" Sona was shaking.

"I sat down and listened to you call me lazy, bullheaded, stubborn, reckless, and all manner of things in front of my peerage without uttering a word." Rias countered, not backing down, her gaze like icicles. "Perhaps I am all of those things, or perhaps not. But if I can listen to you point out what you feel are my flaws without uttering a word to defend myself… don't you think too much of yourself to feel you can't do the same?"

Sona's glare was sharp. "Is that what this is? A verbal dressing down?"

Rias shook her head. "The problem with you Sona, is that you're unable to _acknowledge the possibility that you might be wrong_. It's always your way, your plans, your strategy – there are no other solutions but the one _you_ have worked out. No other answers. No other ways of doing things."

Rias' had a smile on her face. "That manner of thinking is often attributed to the Einstellung effect."

Sona's glare vanished. Her heated gaze gone as she stared at her friend in surprise at the use of the technical term. Rias rolled her eyes at the blatant disbelief.

"I'm not an aspiring Nobel laurate like you, but it doesn't mean I don't _read_. This is exactly what I'm talking about. I'm not an idiot, Sona. You need to stop treating me like one."

"I never –"

"You're doing it again."

Sona's mouth clamped shut. A deep frown formed on her face. She sat down, as a girl of her stature and upbringing was supposed to, before taking a deep breath.

"You… you're right. I apologize…"

Somewhere along the line, Sona realized how true that was. She'd become accustomed to being the smartest person in the room at any given moment. She'd become accustomed to believing that whereas Rias was gifted physically, genetically, aesthetically, she was gifted intellectually. Viewing their relationship as a constant dichotomy of good looks versus intelligence, she'd let herself _believe_ that Rias was a dumb idiotic child. Intellect was where she would shine and where Rias would barely flicker, because, no matter how much she hated to admit it, if Rias were her intellectual equal –

If Rias Gremory were as smart as she was –

Rias would be superior to her in every conceivable way.

Her only redeeming feature she utilized as a bargaining chip in this world was her brainpower. But even she knew the fact that smarts were often disregarded in females, across both devil society and human ones. If one were to approach a random stranger on the street and ask them to list ten beautiful female individuals in history, their list would go on and on without question. If one were asked to list ten _intelligent_ female individuals in history, their response would be to stop, stutter, scratch their heads and make haphazard guesses.

It irked her, _enraged her_ , that all her accomplishments and successes would be reduced to nothing more than a number rating of how sexually appealing she was. Of course, if she was _powerful,_ then it would be a different matter. If she possessed an intimidating peerage and a special power that could increase the cards on her deck to play –

But she didn't have that, did she?

No, no – it went to Rias. Someone who was _already_ beautiful – someone who didn't _need_ any more potential bargaining chips!

Even _worse_ , Rias just… _let them stagnate!_

If she possessed even _half_ of what Rias had –

"Sona."

The devil heiress calmly collected herself, she let none of the turbulent emotions hiding deep within her to express themselves on her face. Calm, impeccable, a face as stony and emotionless as a statue. She'd been told that she'd be more attractive if she 'smiled more' so many times that she practiced a hundred different smiles in the mirror, each one faker than the former, until, at a point, she'd forgotten what it was like to smile naturally.

"I take it you have a plan of approach to deal with the dragon in our backyard?"

Rias nodded, slowly.

"It's also a plan that will end my marriage contract with Riser at the same time."

Sona let that information sink into her head, and she tilted it, disbelievingly.

"How?"

Rias' smile grew.

"I'm going to make Riser fight him for me."

There was a shiver that ran down her spine at the smile that prompted itself on the face of the Gremory heiress. Sona knew, at that moment, that despite her lazy, lackadaisical, somewhat careless manner in which she approached things, the true genius of Rias Gremory lay hidden behind murky depths.

She was a devil, after all.

"Now, the first thing I'm going to do is –"

The door burst open.

"I'LL FUCKING MURDER ALL OF YOU SHITTY DEVIL SCUM!"

Sona Sitri could only stare on in disbelief, shock, and confustion, as a white haired man stormed into the room, and the holy weapon that was an Exorcist's gun, lined up directly with her forehead.

* * *

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **Earlier…**

"Motherfucking carrot dicks up Bugs Bunny's fucking furry asshole." I cursed. "FUCK."

I paced around the room, my Invisibilty having worn off as I did a mental count of the time, and checked my stolen iPhone to ensure it was still working. I wagered that because it'd been inside my Inventory when I used the shout, it wasn't affected by the time stop as everything else had been.

 _It's been three fucking hours._

The scene remained exactly as it was, with Asia's embarrassed, scandalous face, and Viser, opening the door, her naked body still standing, as she was one foot into the bathroom. For the past three hours, _this_ had been the exact scene I found myself staring at.

My enhanced hearing couldn't pick up _any_ sound. _Any_. For miles upon miles upon miles, not the sound of hearts beating or even the sounds of crickets or birds or insects. Time had stopped indiscriminately for every single fucking person and thing on the planet –

 _Except me._

Droplets of water remained suspended in the air over Asia, and the rivulets falling down her naked body didn't move in the slightest. I walked closer to the water, pushing my hand up unto some drops, and watched as they shifted upwards, but remained otherwise frozen in air.

 _So I can touch stuff and interact with the world while it's frozen_.

A thought came to me, and I instinctively cast the [ **Flames]** spell, watching as fire came to life in my palm, and I let out a breathe of relief as I realized that the fire was flickering and _moving_ , rather than being frozen in time like everything else.

 _At least my fucking magic still works…_

I ran my hand through my hair in irritation. "Fuck. Powerful? Yes. Uber-bullshitingly broken? Yes. Downside – I have no fucking idea as to when time is going to continue."

It could be hours. It could be _days_. Fuck, for all I knew it could be _months_ – with me frozen in this one fucking moment of time just because I wanted to eavesdrop a bit. _Not_ my fucking brightest idea.

Shit, I knew Boosting stuff would make it powerful, but come fucking on! This was more of a hindrance than a fucking benefit.

"So… time's frozen. What do I do now?" I hummed as I walked over to Viser's frozen form, waving my hand in front of her face, to no effect. I wondered if she'd see the action as something blurring in front of her when time resumed, or, if she'd fail to even notice it all.

I left the bathroom, moving downstairs and then taking to Kuoh's streets.

 **Your Vampire Blood Boils in the Sunlight**

Cars, frozen exactly in time, pedestrians, people, birds – it was a little bit discomforting, the absolute silence. It felt like I was in a ghost-town filled with lifelike mannequins that didn't move or speak or touch. Humans, and living creatures in general, were incapable of absolute stillness – there would be _some_ form of movement, even if it was just their chest expanding and contracting from breathing.

With time frozen, everyone and everything looked unnatural, like they were all ornaments instead of people.

I walked in front of a TV store, and, unsurprisingly, the television channels were frozen in time as well, along with most of the TVs. In front of a taiyaki stand, I noticed that even the distortions of heat in the atmosphere remained in place, frozen in time. Water vapor, steam, and smoke – it was _odd_ seeing these things static and unmoving.

I reached a Supermarket, and tried to walk in, only to frown as I realized that the automatic doors were frozen as well. With a sigh, I pried them open, and made my way to get a can of orange soda and some chocolate bars.

Except…

"Come on!"

I opened the Soda, but it didn't pour out. The liquid was frozen in time.

"Making me use a fucking straw like I'm some kindergartner –"

 _Slurrrrrrp_.

I threw the can in the trash, or rather, I meant to, only for it to hover in the air after leaving my palm.

…

Stopping time was surprisingly fucking underwhelming and seriously overhyped.

I mean for fuck's sakes I couldn't even open Google or use the internet with time stopped! Why was this considered so cool again? Like… what the fuck made people so excited about the ability to stop time?

"ZA WARUDO!"

…

Memes. Probably the fucking memes.

I sighed. "Let's see… what are the top things to do when time is stopped?"

Number one, rob a bank and get mad amounts of money without ever getting caught.

"Already have money – don't really _need_ to rob a bank."

Number two, get back at all your enemies by messing with them and causing all sorts of mischief.

"Don't really have any enemies."

Number three, rape people.

…

What? There wasn't a whole fucking genre of hentai dedicated to time-stop-sex for no reason. I'm pretty sure that any average joe who's ever fucking thought about gaining the power to stop time would feel it would be the damn perfect chance to use it and fuck women senseless, especially women waayyyy out of his league and women he'd never be able to bang otherwise.

Problem is…

"I don't need to stop time to rape people."

…

It sounded fucking creepy when I put it like _that_ –

"I don't need to stop time to have sex with people, I could have sex with either way."

There. Better.

I mean, I could _brainwash_ people – so, if I really wanted to go around fucking women for fun, I'd just have sauntered into Kuoh Academy, used the [ **Bend Will]** shout on Rias and Akeno, and then sit back leisurely and watched as they both got on their knees and kissed each other with my cock right in the middle of their tongues.

Going around fucking women with time-stopped was somehow significantly more pathetic than brainwashing. I mean, it'd essentially be using people as sex toys. No reaction, no screaming out in pleasure, no contorting or moaning or doing things that'd make the sex far far sweeter, like, you know, sweating, getting wet/hard, and basic physiological reactions that were the telltale signs of a job well-fucking-done.

Instead, all you'd do would be to pump in, pump out, ejaculate and evacuate, blow your load and hit the road, jizz in and jazz out.

Nah.

Where's the fucking challenge?

It's like playing Pokémon with a level 100 Arceus in your first slot.

"So… what else?"

Number four, use it as a Hyperbolic Time Chamber to get uber-strong, uber-fast ala Ichigo-power-creep.

"…Hmm… I can do that."

Considering I had a fight coming up with Vali, and I _did_ need to kill really powerful dragons later on….

"Might as well get started."

* * *

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **Day One of Frozen Time**

A car rose up into the air, spinning, faster and faster until it appeared as though it were a ceiling fan. The speed continued at maintained at a steady rate, before, abruptly, it stopped. Then, it began to crumble and fold into itself, as though it were being crushed by the pressure of the bottom of the sea, until, all that was left of it, was a round, perfectly smooth, aluminum ball.

I reached for a pencil and paper, before ticking down an item.

[ **Telekinesis]** _check_.

 _Power = Can crush cars with relative ease and send them soaring through the air like bullets._

 _Range = Six Feet in all directions from myself._

 _Power When Boosted = Can make Mob Psycho look like a hack._

 _Range When Boosted = See Above._

* * *

 **XXXX**

* * *

 **Day Three of Frozen Time**

A thick, powerful crackling sound of electricity echoed in the air, before a small metal can was propelled forward, vanishing with a crackling boom off into the horizon. Lightning danced along the trail the object followed, the item having vaporized itself from the sheer heat and energy it was emitting, and crashing into a still lake.

 **[Chain Lightning** ] _check_.

 _Power = can obliterate targets instantly._

 _Range = Anywhere within my line of sight._

 _Power When Boosted = Portable Railgun._

 _Range When Boosted = Gilthunder when he was cool._

* * *

 **XXXX**

* * *

 **Day Seven of Frozen Time**

Fire crashed upon a river, the entire horizon flashing with burning red and orange light momentarily.

[ **Fireball]** _check_.

 _Power = Madara's balls._

 _Range = Line of Sight._

 _Power When Boosted = Hiroshima._

 _Range When Boosted = Nagasaki._

* * *

XXXXX

* * *

 **Day Ten of Frozen Time**

A thick, long line of trees crackled with ice. One of them, frozen solid completely, shattered like brittle glass, causing a chain reaction that caused more and more trees to shatter as though Tom, Jerry and Daffy Duck ran into a china shop.

[ **Blizzard** ] _check._

 _Power = Iceman._

 _Range = Iceman when angry in Russia._

 _Power When Boosted = Esdeath._

 _Range When Boosted = See above._

* * *

 **XXXXXX**

* * *

 **Day Eighteen of Frozen Time**

 **Dead Man's Drink**

I stood over a table, wiping the nonexistent sweat from my brow in sweet, _sweet_ satisfaction as I looked down upon my completed work. In the Basement of my bar, the table hummed with an eerie light, as a skull stood in the center of the piece, along with numerous sharp runes and engravings that would be lost on those unfamiliar with the lore of Tamriel, and the written language of the Dovah. Although it took some "days" to complete, rather than instantaneously, I was rather quite fucking glad I was able to complete it. All of the material needed was in my inventory, and I thanked the Divines for my hoarding habit.

I also thanked the devs for the _Heartfire_ DLC.

The **Arcane Enchanter** seemed to add a new element to the room, and I contemplated putting in some humans slaves here and there just to _really_ bring out the room's color. Like the slaves that I'd had in the Dark Brotherhood's Dawnstar Sanctuary. There was some moral quandary about that, so I'd enslave non-human beings instead. Eventually, when I got to it.

I dusted my palms and turned to another corner of the room that was still unoccupied.

"Time to add the **Alchemy** **Lab**."

* * *

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **Day 21**

I drank a cup of tea from a straw, idly turning the pages of today's newspaper. Well, it'd been today's newspaper for three straight weeks, but I'd never actually had the chance to go through it and all that.

"Let's see here… some news about tremors… yadda yadda, people talking about earthquake warnings… politics… more politics… sports… oh? An article on the rise of odd supernatural occurrences in Kuoh… and it's given the 'crazy tabloid' treatment… no surprise there."

I took another sip of my tea with the straw.

"Huh. _Gomorrah Constructions_ is making some huge renovations in the city… buying property, and what not… oh… and of course, they're the ones who built Kuoh Academy… huh. So that's the name of the Gremory Family's megacorporation here. _Gomorrah Industries._ A little bit on the nose there… but then again, there aren't that many Japanese Christians to call them out on it."

I shifted the newspaper upwards, watching as it remained in the air.

"Should I build my own super rich industry and compete…?"

I snorted.

"Fuck that. Too much fucking work."

I stared out into the bar of the **Dead Man's Drink**. Not even a single speck of dust existed in the room despite three weeks having passed – well, at least, three weeks having past from _my_ perspective.

"Maybe I ought to do some redecorating?"

…

It wasn't like I had anything else doing anyway, grinding and experimenting with my powers could only take me so far before it started to get repetitive and boring.

"Yeah… just a _tiny_ bit of some redecoration couldn't hurt…"

* * *

XXXXXX

* * *

 **Day 26**

"…a tiny bit. Yeah, this is _real_ fucking tiny."

In the span of a few days, the **Dead Man's Drink** looked less of a bar, and more of a _nightclub_. I didn't even know what possessed me to put that fucking stripper pole right in the middle – or bring in such fancy furniture, or even add more tables, chairs, expand the room a little bit, put a runway and center stage –

And then I realized I'd subconsciously modeled it _exactly_ like the Strip Club in Los Santos, in _GTA V,_ purchased by Trevor-fucking-Phillips later in the game. The only difference was in the color scheme. Mine was dark and grey, and there were far too fucking many skulls and images of blood and sex.

"How did I go from being a bartender to being the owner of a nightclub…? I never even sold one fucking bottle goddamn it…"

I sighed.

"Might as well add a secret lair and all that… like in those mafia movies. Damn I miss those mafia movies. Haven't watched anything in a while… and… why am I talking to myself? Fuck, I'm still talking to myself."

Maybe I was beginning to lose it after not having anyone to talk to for so long? I'd pushed aside the realization that my mind was fraying from the solitude by throwing myself headfirst into activity after activity, but…

I'd masturbated to the frozen Asia more times than I could fucking count.

"I _really_ hope time continues soon." I sighed and shook my head. "Now… do I go for Bond Movie villain lair, or comic book villain lair?"

* * *

XXXXXXX

* * *

 **Day 31**

Several aching hours were spent, digging and creating a large hideout underneath the bar. It was easy to know how with [ **Clairvoyance** ] and most of the manual work was done effortlessly with [ **Telekinesis]**. I eventually went for the Bond-Villain-esque themes, complete with another stocked bar of drinks that could only be served shaken, not stirred, and a room with a portrait of dogs playing poker.

A nice swiveling chair completed the look.

"Oh ho ho, I see you have found my secret lair, Mr. Bond –"

I spun around on the chair, before frowning.

"No, that's not it."

I spun back.

"Well, well, well – a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Bond – "

I spun slowly, but stopped halfway.

"Close, but no fucking cigar. Maybe I shouldn't bother with the repetition?"

I spun back around.

"I've been expecting you, Mr. Bond."

I spun even _slower_.

"Ah, that's it. Now, all I need is a pet to rub slowly like a real douchebag and I'm set. Should it be a Chihuahua or a fat, grouchy cat?"

I stood from the swiveling chair, making my way to a large metal door I installed, and dragging it open. The hidden stairwell revealed itself, and it was a few quick steps to the top, pushing a loose plank of wood, I climbed out of the lair and found myself back in the Basement of the Dead Man's Drink. The **Arcane** **Enchanter** stood at the side, its ominous glow lighting up the room. To another corner, a shelf stood behind the **Alchemy Lab** , though it was empty, I figured I'd fill it up later on.

All that was missing was a Forge… but that was what my hidden lair was for – other than roleplaying Bond villains of course. Building a nice, comfortable forge for my **Blacksmithing** skill.

Several construction sites, shops, malls and places were going to just see their tools and products mysteriously vanish, but I didn't care too much about that. Hey, this was the town where a teenage boy could be murdered in the evening and no one noticed. Or… a giant _fucking_ barrier could be put over a school and no one noticed the spectacular light shows.

Seriously, either the people of Kuoh were the dumbest in the world, or they were willingly playing ignorant to the stuff that happened in this city. There's no way that not _one person_ failed to notice the barrier Sona would have put up in the school when Kokabiel attacked, or not one person noticed the swarms of magicians and devils and angels in the sky when the Three Factions came together for their peace treaty.

"…Oh… yeah… that's… that's still a thing. Kokabiel's still out there… planning to frame the devils and the exorcists for killing each other… isn't he?"

It'd skipped my mind over the past month. Then again, it'd been a _really_ eventful month.

"This would _usually_ be the point in which the protagonist decides to rush in and save the day and prevent the bad guys from winning, and stopping the war from happening… but…"

 _I wasn't the fucking protagonist._

 _I'd_ killed _the fucking protagonist_.

"…So… I guess it's time for me to help the bad guys get their way for once." I murmured. "Three Hoorays for evil! Hip Hip – Hurray!"

I… was probably losing my mind.

Probably.

"But first… need to work on that forge."

* * *

XXXXX

* * *

 **Day 35**

It was kinda hard to keep track of time when the sun didn't set.

No visual clues to count the hours passing, so I could only _hope_ it'd been thirty five days. It could have been more, but I wasn't entirely sure. My iPhone had long since died, and I couldn't charge it because electricity was not flowing from sockets through the charger, and into the device.

Attempting to use some Lightning **Destruction** Magic only proved why the magic was appropriately named, and completely fried the device. So… I had no way exact way of knowing how long it'd been.

I made my way to the Fallen Angel's 'hideout' with the aid of [ **Clairvoyance** ]. 'Hideout' was a generous term for a slightly beat-up motel at the far, far end of the city. Considering I'd chased them off from the Church, I supposed I couldn't really blame them for having such a shitty new place.

I found them in varying different states. Raynare was in the bath, relaxed and confident, a small smirk on her lips. I wondered what she'd been thinking about before I'd stopped time. Mittelt was dressed in fetish bondage gear, and almost made me wonder about the legality of getting so fucking turned on by the sight of such a flat-chested girl that could pass for a middle-schooler.

Ah, there was a guy tied to the bed, blindfolded.

By the look on his face, he was certainly not here on his own free will.

"Ah, the small mercies I do for people. [ **Telekinesis** ]."

His heart _tore_ out of his chest and extended to my outstretched hand. Flecks of blood stood still in the air, and the organ was still warm to the touch. I pocketed the organ into my inventory, and licked the few flecks of blood from my hand, my vampiric instincts agreeing with the taste.

In the next room, Kalawarner was reading a _Harlequin_ erotica novel. Her expression, and the position of her fingers also told me she had been enjoying it a little _too_ much. Ah, poor, poor Kalawarner. She had a maiden's heart, but not so much of a maiden's appearance.

The room after that had Dohnaseek, a woman with a paper-bag over her head and a picture of Raynare stapled on the bag.

I left that room almost as quickly as I entered it.

 _That guy needs some fucking professional help._

The final room, all the way at the end of the corridor, was the one I was leery about entering, and, of course, I came upon the sight of Freed Selzen's naked butt cheeks staring straight at me.

"Fuck! My eyes! Fuck! FUCK! Get the bleach! Get the motherfucking bleach!"

I averted my gaze away from _that_ , and realized that there was something _in front_ of him –

"Wow… That's just… damn."

Face contorted into disgust and agony, make-up utterly ruined, tears streaming down her face, and her lips wrapped around a cock, I glanced over the girl, and then turned to look at Selzen's face, which was stuck in one of delight.

"Hmm…"

What was the difference between someone like Freed Selzen and someone like me?

We both took what we wanted.

We both swore (though I'm cutting down on it) a whole fucking lot.

We weren't afraid to get our hands dirty if it came to it.

Though most of what I did was a means to an end, whilst Selzen's goals were an end of their own. Or was it because I felt I was above them all by being from a world where they're just fucking characters in a shitty ecchi rom-com? Probably the main reason. Freed didn't know that though, so he was just shitty by default.

I used my [ **Telekinesis** ] to detatch the woman sucking on his cock, before clothing both of them with nothing but a casual flex of my finger. Then, I levitated them both into the air, along with Freed's weapons, and I took them all out of the room.

With the woman, I gave her some money and a note telling her to flee.

And with Freed…

"Someone's going to make history…"

* * *

 **XXXX**

* * *

 **Day 36**

So, I found myself walking through the halls of Kuoh Academy, with Freed floating comfortably in the air behind me, being dragged by my [ **Telekinesis** ]. Early in the morning as it was, students weren't entirely in class yet, and it was easy enough to sift through the corridor without jostling or bumping anyone.

The length of the school uniforms were surprisingly not the tantalizingly short lengths I'd expected. Rather, they were moderate, ending on the knees, but it seemed that most girls dragged the skirts up to go above their thighs.

I stopped in front of the female toilet, blinking a bit when I noticed something odd going on there. Two girls stood at the entrance, seemingly preventing other girls from going in, which meant something was happening inside. I telekinetically pushed aside the girls obstructing the doorway, and entered into the restroom to see… an unusual scene.

Three girls, ganging up on one girl. They were in the midst of completely stripping her naked, apparently – and – wait –

Is that…

 _Aika?_

Although her hair was frazzled, her glasses lay broken on the floor, and her face was twisted into one of desperation, yeah, that was definitely Aika. Possible waifu material. She was…

She was being bullied, wasn't she?

Damn that felt like such a long time ago.

The girls stripping her, I recognized one as Murayama, the other as Katase, but the third was an extra.

"…hmm… I'd been looking for slaves for my dungeon, hadn't I?"

I pickpocketed their clothes, well, Murayama, Katase and the Extra's clothes anyway. Then, I hit them both with [ **Paralysis** ]. The effect would take place after time resumed. Then, I searched my inventory for some **Leather Strips** and blindfolded them both. I tied their hands together, though that was probably overkill on my part, but meh, fuck it.

I grabbed the three girls with [ **Telekinesis]** and moved them along with Freed to the outside. I did pause when my **Eagle Eye** caught something, one of the girls on the outside had their phone out, and was grinning into it.

Messages. Chat?

It was in Japanese, but thankfully, Ddraig could read Japanese.

 _Sender: Lol. They've locked her in the girl's bathroom._

 _Receiver: Really? They've started it already?_

 _Sender: Hurry and get here or you'll miss the show!_

 _Sender: I heard Katase's paid off the teachers. They'll let us do whatever we want as long as we wrap it up before first period._

 _Receiver: Omw._

 _Receiver: You know what they've got planned?_

 _Sender: I think they're going to make her streak through the school._

 _Receiver: OMG. That's so fucking mean._

 _Sender [Unsent]: Murayama handed markers to everyone. We're gonna write on her and make sure –_

The message stopped there. I looked at the teenage girl, and then turned my attention back to the girls that I'd gagged and was holding in the air with [ **Telekinesis** ].

"…Tut. Tut. Tut. Naughty. Naughty."

Ah… I'm going to have so much with these three.

I looked at the gathered girls, before raising my hand into the air.

[ **Fear]**

 **[Boostx100]**

Sana said it'd made her see her worst nightmares, and that was without any boosts. With it, however…

I sauntered my way through the school until I eventually reached the Occult Research Club. Sona was inside there, for some reason, probably having a meeting of some sorts with Rias. I also spotted Koneko, resting on Rias' lap, Akeno, always the tea lover, and Kiba, standing there and trying to play the role of the perfect knight.

"Ah… here we go."

I kicked the door off its hinges, and placed Freed right there, erection and all. Then – I cast my spell.

[ **Frenzy]**

Like he even needed it. Of course, it'd take effect once time resumed, so, I put his exorcist gun in his right hand, and his sword in his left.

Then, I sauntered out of the room, with only the girls in tow.

On my way out of the school, I ensured to hit every single fire alarm I could find. Then, for good measure –

[ **Fireball** ]

[ **Fireball]**

 **[Fireball]**

 _Fuck the cliché high school rom com. I'm changing the fucking genre._

Can't be a high school rom com without a high school, now can it?

Also, I _really_ wanted to burn down a school, at least just _once_.

I made my way back to the bathroom where Aika was, and I grabbed her with me, out of the bathroom, and straight in front of the doors. I kept a note in her pocket, before walking out the doors and feeling satisfaction at a job well done.

"Huh, scheming behind the scenes certainly works up an appetite. Looks like I'm eating Chinese this night."

Or… day, because, you know, time was frozen.

But on the upside, all the foods in the restaurants were frozen as well, and still perfectly piping hot.

It's the little things that make this nightmare just a little bit more bearable.

* * *

XXXXXXXX

* * *

 **Day 40**

I stretched a bit as I woke up. The **Well Rested** trait hit me and I craned my neck as I looked up at the number of books, pencils, jottings, corrections, and drawings that remained suspended in the air for the past few days. Doing some light reading up on the Underworld, it's territories, and other miscellaneous information.

I began my daily routine, a slice of bread appearing in my hand from my inventory (I'd gotten this from the bakery across the road) and a nice cup of tea (I stole it from Akeno). With both objects in hand, I moved into the bathroom, checking on Viser's frozen form and Asia's naked body. Unfortunately one could only stare at a naked body for so long before you became normalized to it and lost all feelings of sexual desire for it.

I'd also masturbated to her a lot. So… that fucking helped.

I reached for my straw, sipping the tea through it, before sighing.

"Maybe I'll take a trip to the underworld…? So many places to see, so many things to –"

 _NOISE!_

 _NOISE!_

 _NOISE!_

My ears _screamed_ as for the first time in what felt like _ages_ , from the overload of auditory information telling me that I could hear sound again. Movement, people, footsteps, birds, insects, heartbeats – and –

"AAAAAH!" Asia's embarrassed scream _burned_ my sensitive ears –

"Wha – Seth-sama? What the hell? How did you get up here?"

I opened my mouth to say something –

And I closed it.

"I had enough time."

My lips curled as my eardrums overheard the frantic, crazed screeches of fear and terror that came from the direction of Kuoh Academy.

"More than enough."


	11. Burn the World and Have Some Fun

**Back to this little baby right here. This is shaping off to be an interesting fucking year already. (JOHN WICK 3 MOTHERFUCKER!)**

 **I also recommend the new anime _The Rising of the Shield Hero_ for anyone who somehow hasn't heard of that brilliant fucking masterpiece(or read the manga). I wish the MC was a tad bit darker, but hey, I'll take my Badass Dark MCs wherever I can get them. _Overlord_ being the one above all others.**

 **Dunno why people love that Slime Isekai anime though. Ugh... too fucking generic.**

 **Whatevs.**

 **Let's just fucking hope our hyped movies and expectations don't fuck us over this year. (I'm looking at you, Endgame.)**

 **Back to your monthly dose of chaos, blood, sex and gore.**

* * *

 **Kuoh Academy**

Most people are not prepared to die.

They are not prepared for the possibility that their demise and final moments lays ahead of them, the knowledge that their existence has run its course. It was both easy and convenient to pretend, to ignore, to push to the back of one's mind the inevitability that they would, indeed, die one day. One could not function if they constantly lived in fear of that demise. Those who ignored it, did so out of fear, and those who embraced it, seemed often to live the fullest.

Devils, often never faced this conundrum. They had nothing to fear from the inevitability of death, because it was not inevitable that they would die. As long as they lived a safe, comfortable life, avoided making too many enemies, and did all that they could to stay out of danger – they would live forever.

Hence, they had a greater reason to fear death.

Their fear of death surpassed and exceeded that of humans, because humans had come to accept it as truth that they _would_ die, and devils instead were wary that they _could_ die. To die without ever living even a fraction of a tenth of their lifespans, it was the same as an infant newborn dying on its first day.

Thus, many devils feared their demise, and only those select few devils who preferred a short life filled with adventure than a long one filled with knowledge and experience possessed no reason to be afraid of death.

Sona Sitri was unfortunately not that type of devil.

 _BANG!_

It wasn't skill, or talent, or ability, or smarts, or anything she had which saved her in that brief moment –

 _BOOOM!_

 _BOOOOM!_

 _BOOOM!_

It was luck. _Happenstance_.

Even then, it wasn't enough.

 _Heat_ soared through the entirety of Kuoh Academy from an explosive force, a shockwave of outwardly expanding heated air and pressure being the only thing which altered the hand of the rogue exorcist, and tilted his aim just a bit to the right.

The Holy Bullet echoed with a crack of thunder, the projectile narrowly missing her forehead, but shattering against the right lens of her glasses as she attempted to weave out of the way.

Pain burned through her body as she screamed, now consciously aware of the fact that the bullet had streaked against her right eye, sheering off large amounts of the skin ranging from her eye to her ear, tearing off her earlobe, and crashing into wall.

"Sona!"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGGGH!"

A wall of fire and heat burst into the room, shattering glasses, windows, objects, and turning every single thing on its head. Sona found herself flung through solid wall from the concussive force, crashing out of Occult Research Club, as she grasped her wounded and bloody right eye and shuddered, _shuddered_ , in terror at the realization of how close she was to losing it all.

Microseconds, _millimeters_ – these tiny details where the difference between life and death.

Blood poured from her wound and dripped down her hands. She winced from the realization that there was a sharp metal spike imbedded into the side of her thigh, preventing her from properly moving. Her flimsy Kuoh Uniform had all but completely melted in the overwhelming _heat_ that scorched seemingly _everything_ – and had she cared enough, she would have attempted to cover up her modesty.

With her one good eye, she looked up, horrified to see all of Kuoh Academy burning – not just the High School, but the Middle School, Kindergarten and University as well – large acres of land, thick black acrid smoke rising into the air as the flames licked away at everything. She could hear horrified screams of terror and panic ranging all over the place, and a burning hot sensation filled her stomach as she realized she knew just _who_ was responsible for this –

"Sona!"

To her relief, Rias seemed to have made it outside of the burning building in seemingly one piece. Her clothes had burned off as well, but the Gremory heiress didn't bother with it. With her one good eye, Sona noted the slight burns on her rival's hands and legs –

"Are – are you alright?"

"I have one eye. There is a thirteen inch metal spike in my thigh. I almost got _shot in the head_. What do you _think_?"

Rias managed to look chastised, before a hard look came on her face. "I – I can't believe they would be so brazen as to attack us here, in _my home_ –" Rias grit her teeth. "Let me help you with that –"

"No." Sona said sharply. "We are still under attack. Call your peerage together and –"

"FUCKING DEVILS!"

A naked man burst through the flames like a demon descending the layers of hell. In a sharp movement, his left foot swung out, slamming against Rias' face with a sickening impact. Sona watched, almost in fascinating slow motion as her friend's features contorted under the force of the strike, one or two teeth flying out of her mouth, before a resounding shockwave rung out from the point of impact, and Rias was sent flying head over heels away from the man.

He dropped to his feet, almost positively _frothing_ at the mouth, and _dread_ ran up Sona's spine as the man's gaze flickered over to her.

"Hah… Hah…! Hah…! Devil! Gonna murder… fuck all of you – fucking devil whore!"

He panted furiously like a dog in heat, and Sona rapidly brought up her free hand to conjure a blast of magic –

 _Slow_.

His foot slammed down against her hand and crushed it under the granite. She let out a scream from the echo of her wrist shattering, but the scream was cut short when a firm backhand slapped against her face, against her one good eye. Her vision became tinted red.

"FUCKING DEVIL WHORE!"

Something _dangled_ over her head, smacking her in the face, and slow horror filled her up at what she now knew was an erect penis. A pair of hands slammed roughly against her neck, pinning her down, and making her one good eye go wide as the hands began choking her, depriving her of oxygen.

She saw his muscles _bulging_ and she knew that she couldn't overpower him. Her valiant, bravest attempts were futile, even as she gasped and choked and pounded against him in a desperate attempt to breathe again.

Then, _something_ entered into her mouth.

She bit down on it in pure, absolute reflex, but regretted it immediately as she wasn't given the chance to spit it out, and instead, it lodged itself into her throat.

"GRAAAAAAAAAH! FUCKING BITCH!"

He kicked her in-between her legs, sending pain rocketing through her body. Two more kicks hit against her womanly area and made tears stream from her eyes as she came to realize that being hit there _hurt_ – it _hurt_ –

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

A burning, fiery wall of red and black energy _tore_ through the man in an instant. Less than a second later, the hands choking against her slackened up, as there was nothing left of the top of him. Nothing, not even ash, as the Power of Destruction did not even allow for ash to remain as remnants.

She immediately rolled over and coughed, hacking and wheezing as she coughed out blood, but the object stuck in her throat wasn't coming out. It was too big to swallow, and too big for her to cough it up.

Her vision began to swim as she desperately grasped and clawed at her throat, squeezing it and hacking, coughing, _trying_ to get it out – _get it out –_

"Sona!"

Her friend grabbed her from behind, applying what was clearly the Heimlich maneuver. But it wasn't helping – it – it –

"GURK!"

The object in her throat had grown smaller. Small enough for her to be able to cough it out, along with a glob of blood and saliva, and finally enough for her to be able to collapse on the ground, wheezing and panting as _sweet_ oxygen began to enter her lungs once more.

It was to this scene that Akeno and Koneko arrived, the only other two female members of Rias' peerage baring witness to it all.

 _I could have died from choking on… on that?_

"Kaicho… are… are you alright?"

"I'm…"

No, she wasn't fine. She'd lost a lot of blood. She'd nearly choked and had lost a lot of oxygen. Her crotch was sore from the amount of times it had been kicked. Her thigh burned from the metal spike through it. Her wrist was shattered and in unbelievable agony. Her lungs and skin burned from the heat and smoke. And she could only see with one eye.

"…fine."

No one believed her, and she knew they would believe her even less, as she closed her one good eye and collapsed to the ground.

* * *

XXXXXX

* * *

 **Kuoh Academy**

 **7:50 AM**

Aika didn't understand it.

One second, she was trying to stop three girls from stripping her down to her clothes as they made jibes about her probably _enjoying it_ , and the very next, she found herself standing at the entrance of the school, fully clothed.

For all of a single second, before the alarms went off, and a shockwave of heat sent her flying out through the door. She crashed on the pavement, knowing she'd be bruised heavy on from the impact. Searing _heat_ reached her and singed her clothes and her hair, the smell of burnt hair being the catalyst to snap her out of her momentary disorientation.

 _So… much… fire…_

Even without her glasses to help her see the fine details, the flames didn't look natural. They extended into the air like a veritable sea, as though someone had grabbed a giant hydrant and inversed the elements to make it spew fire instead of water. It reached upwards, _upwards_ , into the sky, and then bathed down upon all of Kuoh like a biblical flood.

Frantic screams echoed from around the environment. Bystanders and pedestrians stopped in their tracks to stare at the flames that peaked into the sky and rained down. That – it could only be the name of such an event.

 _It's raining fire –_

She realized she had to leave the area.

She didn't know _how_ she got out of the school. By all means, she should be inside, suffering that smoldering heat and smoke, and probably even worse, she would be inside, _naked_ , and suffering that heat.

But… she wasn't.

Somehow. Someway.

She got up on her feet and decided to leave. _Run_. Run home.

She moved a bit, stopping when she felt something crinkle and press against her. A piece of paper? In her _underwear?_

She grabbed it, looking at the strange parchment with only two simple words on it.

 **You're Welcome.**

She shuddered at the ominous words, before turning the parchment around, and noticing something fall out of it. A _coupon._

 **Buy One Drink, Get Two Free. Opening Promo –**

 **The Dead Man's Drink.**

* * *

XXXXXXXXX

* * *

 **Fallen Motel**

"Gyahhh!"

Raynare's smile vanished from her lips and was replaced with irritation at the sound of Mittelt's startled scream. One could not just enjoy a nice leisurely bath anymore without one issue or another popping up. If it wasn't Dohnaseek finding flimsy excuses to 'report' things to her whenever she was in the shower just so he could get an eyeful, it was Kalawarner's tendency to use up all the hot water, or Selzen's pathetic and crude attempts to try and have sex with her.

"R-Raynare-sama!"

Mittelt opened the door, the girl looking unusually pale and spooked.

"He – I – I don't – his heart – my pet – it –"

"Either you start making sense or I start spearing you."

A bolt of light appeared in her hand to punctuate the fact.

"His heart! It's gone!"

"Who?"

"The human I picked up on the street trying to get me into his car with candy!"

Raynare's brow furrowed. "I don't understand."

"I mean, I was getting ready to have some fun, and then – his heart vanished and there's a hole in his chest and now he's dead!"

"I see." She said succinctly. "And I should care about this… why?"

"Raynare-sama!"

Dohnaseek and Kalawarner appeared in the shower, pushing Mittelt aside. Raynare felt her irritation rise at Dohnaseek's blatant and immediate erection as he eyed her over, and Kalawarner's sad attempt to hide her own blush from seeing her.

"What is this, 'everyone-come-intrude-my-privacy' day? I'm not an _exhibitionist_." She snarled.

"Raynare-sama – the news… you – you should come see this."

She scowled at Kalawarner.

"This had better be worth my time."

Her four wings emerged, brilliantly black, covering her modesty as she emerged from the shower, much to Dohnaseek's chagrin. She moved into one of the larger rooms, her ears picking up on the TV, and noticing immediately that it was on the news.

" _Recent developments have brought to light that this fire was not as a result of an accident, and, was rather, a terrorist action. Firefighters are doing their best to engage the blaze, however, the lives of numerous students and faculty have been lost, and the death toll only continues to grow – "_

Raynare stared in disbelief at the burning image of Kuoh Academy. Thick acrid smoke could be seen from the view of the helicopter cameras, along with numerous badly burnt and disfigured bodies.

"That's…"

"The school where those devil princesses attend." Dohnaseek added. "Yes."

"… _in what is now being called the Kuoh Academy Bombing, the third of the recent string of tragedies to hit this City, potential suspects include two former students, Morano Matsuda and Iwasa Motohama – friends to one recently deceased Hyoudou Issei, a student who, according to reports, died attempting to sexually assault his own mother –_ "

Raynare snorted. "The media's trying to pin it on a bunch of schoolkids. Do you know what that means?"

Dohnaseek turned to her, understanding in his eyes. "Supernatural involvement."

Raynare nodded. "Nearly all the news stations in this city are in the devils' pockets. Setting up public scapegoats so early means the fire wasn't _normal_ , _regular_ people saw it, and they're trying distract people from it by getting them to focus on a manhunt."

A slow, sinking feeling hit her gut.

"Where's Selzen?"

The gathered trio turned to each other, each of them shrugging.

"He was in his room with a human girl last I checked." Dohnaseek provided.

The feeling in her gut grew worse, and Raynare _sprinted_ out of the room and down the corridor as fast as she could.

"Raynare-sama! Wait –"

She reached Selzen's room, kicking the door off it's hinges and –

It was _empty._

The smell of sex was in the air, but the room was _empty_.

And his weapons were gone.

"No. No. No. NO. _Nonononononononono_!"

She turned to the trio who'd arrived, and she took in sharp, panicked breaths.

"Grab your things. Everything you need, pack it up. We're leaving. We're leaving _now_."

"What? But what about my toy –"

She pinned Mittelt to the ground, spearing the smaller girl's hands with light spears and making her scream out.

"Do you _understand_ the situation we're in? Selzen went and fucking _bombed_ the devils. Selzen was with _us,_ which means, we're _accomplices_ – we're the _accomplices_ of the man who tried to kill the _Lucifer_ and the _Leviathan's_ sisters. Accomplices of the man who just _restarted the fucking Holy War_."

She roughly grabbed Mittelt's cheeks.

"So forget about your _stupid_ human pet toys, because if we're not out of this city… no, out of this _continent_ in the next few days…"

She let the threat hang. She let go the girl, gritting her teeth as harshly as she could and trying to think over the situation calmly. Kokabiel had gotten exactly what he wanted, but Azazel…

She could only _hope_ he would not be too displeased with her.

* * *

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **Kuoh Academy**

"Move! Move Irina! We need to leave, _immediately_!"

It was the worst of luck. The worst possible luck that they found themselves on the outskirts of the school when the explosion hit it.

"But – but we didn't –"

"I _know_ that!" she snapped at the girl. "Do you think _they_ do? What are the odds?"

Indeed, what _were_ the odds?

They'd gone to the Academy with two intentions. The first, was finding out more about the character of Irina's now deceased childhood friend, as the brown haired girl still held on to some stubbornness and disbelief as to what had actually transpired occurring before his death. The second, was part of the reason they were in Japan, to investigate the source of the mysterious power spike.

They needed to meet with the devils in-charge of the town, to avoid stepping on any toes or kindling anything that could bring back the spark to the war. It was a smart maneuver. A political maneuver.

All of which went up in flames, literally, and metaphorically.

They had _nothing_ to do with the fire or the attack, but their excuse was laughably thin. Someone just _happened_ to bomb the place on the exact same day they arrived? On the exact same day they 'intended' to meet with the Devils?

It was suspicious and they knew it.

The best course of action was to leave the scene immediately to avoid any potential backlash.

Or it was, until a blonde-haired boy, covered in burns and scratches, just happened to flick his gaze in their general direction as they fled.

Blades, _swords_ , dozens of them shot up from the ground around them in a sharp circle, forcing them to leap backwards lest they be skewered. They came face to face with him, the blonde boy who had a malevolent scowl on his face, one filled with a deep hatred and loathing of the likes they'd never seen before.

"Agents of the Church? Working with Rogue Exorcists?"

"Wait, we're not –"

"Save your lies!" Demonic blades appeared in his hand, as he _blurred_ his way towards them. Irina reacted sharply, summoning the Excalibur in her possession into her hand, and blocking the initial strike with an echoing clash of steel upon steel.

Somehow, the blonde boy only appeared _immensely_ more enraged by the sight of the holy sword. His handsome visage transformed into one of pure _fury_. " _Holy sword users?!_ "

"Irina!"

Xenovia dashed forward, her sword swinging in the empty space where the boy previously stood, as he leapt back to avoid being hurt by her holy weapon. There was a tense silence filled only with the crackling of flames in the air, the sound of sirens blaring in the distance, and the screams of burning people.

"He's aiming to kill," Irina whispered to her. "That attack, the intent behind it…"

Xenovia nodded. "We can't afford to hold back or pull our punches. His reinforcements could arrive any second, and if all of them don't have any reservations about killing us…"

Xenovia thrust her hand out into the air, taking a deep breath as she pulled out the special Holy Sword entrusted to her and her alone. The blue blade of Durandal hummed with an overwhelming power.

"Moses-Parting-Seas formation." She told her partner, who nodded.

The balls of their feet pushed off against the ground, as they broke human limits and rushed the solitary devil.

In another world, at a different time, Yuuto Kiba would have met them under different circumstances, and challenged Xenovia to a one-on-one duel. In that world, while being undamaged and fresh for battle, under a controlled environment, and with no one truly out to kill each other, he would have found himself losing against the superior swordsmanship of Xenovia in a single strike to the sternum.

But this was not that world.

In this world, he stood alone, against two opponents. He was injured and tired from being caught in the flames and blast that sent him soaring away from the Occult Research Club. His anger and temper at the sight of holy swords had not been enough time to abate and simmer. His opponent was using her strongest sword, and she had decided to retaliate against him with the same amount of force he used against them.

In this world, Irina blitzed behind him, dividing his attention, forcing him to turn and try to counter her strike. In this world, that marked his fatal mistake, as he was facing two opponents, and his much more skilled opponent lunged forward with her blade, slashing against the dirt and sand and blinding him. In this world, that moment of distraction was all that was needed for two holy swords to pierce through him, Durandal from the back, through his chest, and Exalibur from the front, through his stomach.

In this world, Yuuto Kiba let out a strangled cry of pain, as blood spurted from his lips, as he felt his heart and intestines begin to corrode away from the effects of being pierced by not one, but two legendary holy weapons.

"He… didn't dodge?" Irina asked, sounding surprised.

"Pathetic. I overestimated his threat level. His speed and ability to make swords made me believe he'd be a skilled swordsman."

The final parting insult burned away at him more than the internal damage, as both girls removed the blades piercing through him, and he collapsed to the ground. No matter how skilled he was with a blade, no matter how his Sacred Gear granted him such closeness with them due to his **Blade Blacksmith** , Yuuto Kiba had no true experience fighting swordsmen. Other than the training he did when he was younger to become a passable fighter, his blades had not been honed with blood nor had they tasted the daily grind of combat. Rias had never participated in a rating game, and the strongest opponents he'd fought had been stray devils.

Against two exorcists deemed worthy enough to hold legendary artefacts of history, two exorcists who fought daily and had their entire lives centered on the extermination of devils and other malevolent beings, two exorcists who were considered geniuses in their own right for their high compatibility with Holy Swords…

He stood no chance.

"I can't believe I brought out Durandal for no reason."

Yuuto Kiba's final moments were spent, staring up at the loathed holy swords, wondering why his existence would always end with the accursed objects.

 _Why…?_

The two exorcists stood over the recently deceased devil, one of them nervous.

"Xeno-chan…this… this is bad. Right?"

"He attacked us first with lethal force, without giving us an attempt to explain ourselves. Then, he was too weak to properly defend himself."

"I _know_ Xeno-chan, but – but –" she stopped. " _They_ won't see it that way."

Three girls stood, off the side, staring at the scene. One of them, had her mouth opened, fear and disbelief and _rage_ etched on her face. They were members of the Kuoh Student Council, peerage of the Sitri devils, not that the exorcists were aware of that fact. But, they were aware of the power difference, and these girls knew, just _knew_ , that approaching the exorcists would spell their doom. If Kiba, the Knight of Gremory had failed, their chances were nonexistent.

"We need to leave Irina."

"But –"

"They won't attack us."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Shouldn't we explain –"

"Explain that we killed him in self-defense? By accident? Explain that despite killing one of their own, we weren't the ones responsible for the fire?" Xenovia asked. "If the Church was burning and you found a pair of devils nearby standing over my corpse, would you sit down and listen to what they had to say?"

"…"

"I thought so. Come on. We're leaving this country. Hopefully, Mother Griselda won't be too mad at us for this."

* * *

 **XXXXXX**

* * *

 **Underworld**

"Ahn! Ahn! Ahn!"

There was the beauty and appeal to his girls that couldn't simply be put easily into words. The small petite form of Kira was held strongly against his form, his cock ramming into her at a steady pace. Her twin sister, Meru, sat effortlessly on his shoulders as his tongue worked furiously against her tight wetness. Pinpricks of small flames aided him, and the girl's legs wrapped against his head as he devoured her.

"Ahn! This feels so good! Oh fuck! Ah! My insides! So hot! I- ahhhh! Ah! AHH!"

Their petite, childlike forms arose a primal desire deep within him, as he thrust into the girl even furiously, the sound of skin smacking against skin echoing throughout the room. Excitement and pleasure burned through him, and the heat of the room rose significantly as the screams of pleasure coming from the twin sisters that were his **Pawns** urged him to pound and devour harder and faster.

The girl's tightness _clenched_ hard against his erect cock, and he let out a soft hiss from the sensation, before unabashedly _slamming_ into her, raising her up into the air with nothing but his cock, before blowing his literally _steaming_ load into her.

"AHHHH! HOT SO HOT!"

It wouldn't truly harm her, of course, or rather, it _would_ , but the regenerative and ambrosial effects would kick in and counter-act any minor scalds. The girl shuddered from pleasure, her toes curling and her body jerking in the air as the hot liquids churned her insides and let her give out a _squeal_ of pleasure as she triggered her own release.

Her twin reached her peak at the same time, squirting straight into his mouth and all over his face as her back arched and her legs tightened further around his neck.

They panted, heavily, barely able to keep up, and he allowed himself a large laugh as took Meru off his shoulder, before priming her up directly in front of his cock.

"Ah – wait – I just – I'm s-s-still sens – SITIVE!"

He could almost see the bulging outline of his member against her small stomach, as the girl's feet stretched out ramrod straight from being speared by his cock.

"Kira!" he barked. "Come give your sister some extra incentive!"

The twin rushed to obey, slamming her lips against her sister's mouth, and making his smirk grow even wider from the wonderful sight. Now –

A large red sigil suddenly appeared in the middle of his room, glowing, blinking, and directly in front of his face.

"What in the world?"

He knew the sigil. How could he not? That eerie blood-red mark that was only ever used by people of a particular family with a particular hair trait. He just _never_ expected to actually see it so soon. No, more than that, he never expected to see it, being used for an _emergency_ summon.

…

"Kira. Meru. We'll have to cut this short. I'm needed somewhere."

He detached the petite girl from his cock as she let out soft whimpers of disappointment and relief. Without any hesitation, flames sprouted all over his body and coiled themselves before vanishing and leaving him standing in a dark red leather shirt and black pants.

He sighed in irritation, because he hated being cut off from his sexual sessions. With his bloodline and power, it was absurdly hard for him to get tired or exhausted, and his unnatural stamina when combined with his regenerative abilities meant he possessed a higher libido than normal. Everyone in his clan did. Most of them however, were just too concerned with their reputation to properly relieve themselves and display their desires. Some of them even were even sexually starved and perhaps even more deviant than he was because of their insistence on maintaining such bothersome appearances.

He didn't care for any of that.

He wanted beautiful women, and he'd gotten them. He wanted a harem, and he'd gotten it. Now, there was one thing he wanted – a rare, red haired beauty.

He touched the sigil, feeling the teleportation magic activate, and finding himself standing in what could only be described as a hell zone.

 _Flames_ were not an issue to him, they washed over him like cold water, but, he knew, from this heat, that anyone not of his bloodline would be on the verge of collapsing from the sheer temperature it possessed.

He strode out of the magic circle, his gaze turning around and immediately stopping at the sight of _her_.

 _The most beautiful woman –_

But she wasn't as he remembered her. Her cheek was roughly bruised. Two of her front teeth were missing. Her clothes were in tatters, and burns, burns covered all over her body which was sleek with sweat. Her uniform was lost to the flames, and he would have celebrated the opportunity to witness her naked body in its glory, had the situation been different.

Had she not been kneeling over someone, someone who was in a _worse_ shape than she was. Had her eyes not been filled to the brim with unspoken tears.

"S-she – she's dying."

Had her voice not sounded so _broken_.

"I – I didn't know what to do – to heal her in time – I – you –"

He stopped her, stopped her with a single palm. He didn't bother with words, already knowing what was needed of him. He made his way over to the form of Sona Sitri, the Sitri heiress, a girl who he would not mind sleeping with, but had no true desire to chase. A favor for a favor, and though he was not as political as his siblings, he knew how these things worked.

He closed his eyes, slowly, building up the necessary magical power. A small magical circle appeared within his palm, a one-way teleportation circle, a specially designed one that could bring objects from a special place to him, but not the other way around. Never the other way around.

A vial appeared in his hand, he uncapped it. He knelt, slowly, but certainly, pouring the clear, pristine contents unto the girl. One drop in her mouth. One drop on her damaged eye. One drop on her stomach.

The restorative effects were immediate, and color returned to the girl's paling form, steam emitted from the wound in her eye as muscle and flesh reknitted itself. Her broken wrists mended with slow pops, her bruised stomach and injured thigh hissed as the injuries vanished. Her breathing changed from barely audible to a slow, steady rhythm.

"She'll still be unconscious for a while." He said tonelessly. "You know she'll owe me for this."

Rias' gaze locked unto her friend, relief and happiness entering her eyes. "Yes."

"You know what I want from her."

"…I think she would not mind sleeping with you if the alternative was dying."

He didn't bother denying it. "With you as well."

She snapped her gaze toward him. "What?"

"With you, as well. I want both of you. Together."

"I – "

"That wasn't a _request_." He stated. "Phoenix Tears are worth far more than your wet cunts. If my family knew that all I asked in exchange for using one was to fuck both of you, they'd be pissed. But I don't care if they're angry, as long as I get what I want."

She didn't say anything in response, and she didn't have to. Riser turned to stare at the other two girls, the nekoshou, the rarest breed of nekomata, one of only two of the species left alive in the world. And then, the other one, the Fallen-Angel-Devil Hybrid, a daughter of one of the Cadre Class Grigori Commanders. He could have asked for them as well, but now was not the time. He instead turned his gaze to the burning school and clicked his teeth.

"You'll also owe me... for this."

He rose his hands, and sharply, the flames _rushed_ towards him like someone had turned on a vacuum cleaner in space and time. All the flames, all the fire, all the heat and smoke, centered upon his location, swirling and swirling in a tornado of flames, before, all at once, the tornado shrunk, contracted, and became a small, tiny ball.

With a snap of his finger, the ball was extinguished.

The fires were gone, leaving only trace amounts of smoke left lingering in the air.

"No. No – no – no!"

He frowned, wondering what the problem was, until he spotted her shaking, shaking in rage and disbelief, as two glowing red pieces appeared in her palm.

A Knight.

And a Bishop.

Two peerage members.

Gone.

The visage of the other girls was stunned disbelief, shock, anger – all manner of emotions that he knew he would feel if he was in their situation. If someone took away his _girls_ from him. He didn't bother saying anything, or uttering any fake condolences, rather, he turned around, and left them to their silence.

"Once you've reported everything – I'll be expecting my reward."

He would have been the only man to have slept with two of the younger siblings of the Maou. The thought was interesting. Only, perhaps, as interesting, as the fact that Sona Sitri's wound had been rather distinctive, because it had been caused by a holy weapon.

He vanished in a blur of fire and a large magical circle, finding himself standing back in his bedroom, his Queen now present along with the twins. All of them turned to stare at him, most likely staring at the seriousness on his face.

"Raiser-sama, is something wrong?"

"...we need to begin more intense training." He said briefly. "We're at war."

* * *

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **Dead Man's Drink**

"What… in… the… world?"

Viser knew, and had come to accept the fact that her new master was an eccentric sort of individual. He acted like a human at times in his mannerisms, he could be savage and unpredictable in his behavior, and he seemed to flip a switch going from wise and cold to open and airheaded. Regardless of the discrepancies, she knew he was a powerful individual that wasn't to be trifled with.

But _this –_

When she'd gone up the stairs, she'd been leaving a bar. When she'd returned, she'd somehow entered a nightclub. Far more spacious, interesting color combinations, and the bar was now just one tiny aspect of it. There was even a changing room and _private booths_ – and a backstage area, and a _dance floor_ – and…

Was that a _stripper pole?_

"How?" she said breathlessly.

The being in question merely ignored the change of surroundings as though he'd been used to it for ages. "I was bored."

She wanted to rip the hair from her head at that statement. "I was gone for less than _twenty seconds!_ "

"It was a _very_ _long_ twenty seconds." He said cryptically. "Now follow me. I want to you to meet the new slaves."

 _New slaves?_ "When did you –" she stopped, shaking her head and shuddering. "I swear the things you do are just… _ridiculous_. Are you sure you're not a god or something?"

"No. But you can call me Kami-sama if it'll make you feel better."

She bit her tongue to stop herself from retorting and inadvertently giving him a reason to make her actually call him that. They descended the stairs to the basement of the building, and she found herself once more unable to understand how the basement was suddenly _much_ larger, and how it had gone from being a _basement_ to a _torture chamber_.

Sure, there was an ominous glowing table, and something that looked like a chemistry table at the corners, but there was no denying the fact that the room gave off that eerie vibe of a torture chamber.

It helped that there were three naked, blindfolded, and gagged girls chained to the wall. They were still. _Unnaturally_ still. No motion could be detected from them at all, and if she didn't know any better, she'd say they were dead.

"…why are they…?"

"Paralysis. They're fully conscious and can feel every single thing, but they can't move their bodies. Considering they're blindfolded and naked, I'm pretty fucking sure they're freaking out inside of their heads right now."

She looked over the forms of the three girls, noting their relatively young ages. "…high school girls?"

"Hm? Oh yeah. I found them bullying someone and trying to strip her. I don't believe in karma, but I do believe in 'justifiable targets' and they certainly qualify."

He casually tilted his head and the blindfolds soared off their heads. Another casual tilt, and the gags came out of their mouths. _Telekinesis?_ She shuddered at the manner in which he casually used his abilities. Then she _yelped_ when she felt something smack against her ass.

She turned around, only to find empty air.

She turned back to look at him, and there was nothing but slight amusement on his expression. There was something else in his expression though, now that she noticed. His eyes… they seemed… older? Duller. It was lacking a certain… _spark_ that she could swear was there _just this morning_.

 _Just a few minutes ago_.

Even the way he held himself and the way he walked, the way he looked at things, the way he casually moved over to the creepy looking table with such mechanical movements… _there was something different._

He _felt_ like someone different.

How was that possible?

In a matter of brief seconds? How did one completely change so much?

"One of the most fascinating things about enchanting is the sheer number of effects that can be added to an enchantment." He muttered off. "For certain reasons, certain enchantments could not be applied to certain apparel. Like, for example, _Absorb Stamina_ could not be enchanted on a ring. Why? Because it'd be detrimental… so, you'd never need to use it."

It took her a few seconds to realize that he wasn't talking to her. He was just… muttering to himself. _Answering_ himself. _Explaining_ to himself. It was unnerving. Like he'd completely tuned out her existence.

 _He never did that before_.

"Funny how there's a **Fear** enchantment for weapons, but no **Calm** enchantment or **Frenzy** enchantment. I guess they thought I'd be rather bloody redundant? You'd never need a **Calm** enchantment on your apparel. You wouldn't need a **Frenzy** enchantment on your weapons either… but… let's see if I can tweak something a bit… and…."

It was a fast process. If she'd blinked, she would have missed it. His hands just seemed to… _blur_ over the table, and it glowed with an ominous light, and once he was done, he held up a plain silver ring that had an eerie looking quality to it.

His gaze snapped up to his creation, before he turned to her. "Viser. Put this on."

She couldn't resist, or rather, she didn't have _time_ to resist, as the ring shot out of his hands and found itself attached to the smallest finger on her left hand.

An inexplicable _haze_ clouded her mind.

"Ahhhh…. I feel… so… nice…"

She wanted to lounge in front a TV and eat a nice bowl of ice cream. She felt _great!_ Amazing! Had someone given her a long, relaxing massage? They must have… that was the only reason she'd feel like she did. People were so nice. Everything was so nice!

"Viser."

She blinked. Ahhh – it was her master. He was a swell master. Look at him smiling at her like that. She giggled. She liked him. No one else in the world made her feel so safe and happy – she couldn't even recall a time where she'd ever felt the need to refuse him, or oppose him. She'd never fight him – no – why would she?

Violence was bad. Bad. She'd never fight anyone.

"Yes Seth-sama?" she giggled. "Can I do anything for you?"

He placed his hand on his chin, and she giggled again. Her master was so dramatic with his actions.

"Slap one of the slaves."

S-slap someone? Violence? She gasped.

"Seth-sama! I could _never_!"

He glanced her over from head to toe. Seth-sama was weird. He walked towards her, his hand extending forward in a blur.

The _wind_ knocked out of her stomach from the force of the blow, and she crumpled to the ground, wheezing despite not needing air. It hurt – it hurt so bad –

"S-Seth-sama? Why would you do something like that to me?"

"Are you going to hit me back?"

She balked. Hit him?

"No! I'd never! Violence is wrong Seth-sama! I can't – "

She found herself pinned to the floor with telekinetic force. What was he doing? She saw his hand gesture down, reaching for her chest, and she gasped as he fondled them.

So _rough!_

"Are you going to hit me now?"

She flinched at that word. "No! It's wrong to –"

He slammed his foot against her skull, making her dizzy. Seth-sama was strange. Was he playing with her? She didn't understand –

His boot lay against the back of her head, and she was pressed into the floor.

"Now?"

"Seth-sama, you're funny, I'm not a doormat!"

He chuckled. "Ironic. Take off the ring on your finger."

Really? Making such a strange request? She didn't even know how it got there. Seth-sama sure was weird. She reached for it, and pulled it off –

…

 _What the fuck?_

She rose her head and leapt to her feet, flinging the accursed ring away from her and leaping back for good measure. If she had a beating heart it'd be pounding heavily right about know.

"What the _fuck?_ What the _fucking hell_ is that ring?!"

She watched as he telekinetically grabbed it, circling it slowly in his palm with a satisfied look on his face.

"This, for lack of a better word, is a **Calming Ring**."

" _Calming_?" she shuddered "Fuck _calming_. That ring made me feel all giddy and fuck inside, made me feel like fighting or violence would be the worst thing in the world. If you'd asked me to open my mouth and drink your piss, I'd have done it thinking we were playing a funny game."

"Really?" he asked, looking intrigued.

"Yes, _really_. Fuck – what the hell – you were stomping on my face and I thought you were being _silly_. I _couldn't_ fight or even _think_ about fighting –"

"I wonder if the effect varies based on willpower." He muttered to himself, ignoring her. "That was a weaker version. I haven't even tried Enchanting one with my stronger **Potions of Fortify Enchanting**. Could I enslave a god with it? Or at the very least, an Archangel or High-Class Devil…"

He continued to mutter rapidly. "What would happen if I applied a **Fear** enchantment as a secondary enchantment to the ring? Would they cancel each other out? Or would they leave someone in a perpetual state of paranoia and uncertainty? Or perhaps combine it with the **Frenzy** enchantment… would the bloodlust be sated to just an increased aggression?"

"Alright, alright, alright!" she said, waving her hand. "Seth-sama! What the hell is up with you?"

He turned to her, frowning. "I don't understand."

"You just made more than three sentences without _swearing_. Even _once_." She deadpanned. "You've been spacing out. I mean, I know I haven't known you all that long, but this… it's weird. It's like you forget I'm here one second and then realize it the next."

Then she gestured to the slaves.

"And these girls… how did they get here? That's _insane_. The fact that I go upstairs and come back down and you've gotten slaves and remodeled the bar into a nightclub… _it's fucking insane_. I can't even begin to _understand_ how you pulled it off, but whatever it is, it's messing with you."

He frowned deeply, before looking at the ring in his hand.

"It is… isn't it?"

"W-wait, what are you –"

He slipped it on his right pinky.

 _Oh fucking hell_.

He stood, motionless for several unnerving seconds.

"Seth…sama?"

Viser shuddered when she remembered what the ring had done to her. What exactly would it do to someone like him?

His head snapped up, for a brief second, before he let out a long sigh.

"Fuck it. Apparently someone _with_ a high-enough willpower _can_ resist the effects." He admitted. "I feel a little bit tingly and fucking warm and… _oh fucking god_ there are butterflies in my stomach and a sensation of sickening goodness and sweetness and sheer pussy-tude –"

His face turned slightly green.

"This ring is sickening. No, I do _not want_ to give Viser a fucking hug – uggggh…. Fuck. No – violence _is_ the fucking answer. Shut up – don't tell me about pacifism. Fuck pacifism. You know what? Fuck you, stupid ass thoughts."

Viser's eye twitched as she watched him walk over to one of the slaves, and then smack the girl on the ass.

"Yeah. I can still hit people. Yeah, I slapped her ass. You feel that? You heard that? That's the sound of a fucking palm striking sweet, sweet, underaged ass. So fuck your pacifism. Suck. My. Thick. Dragony. Balls."

And he promptly took the ring off.

Except, somehow, taking the ring off reverted him to his slightly-absentminded state. The spark in his eyes vanished again, replaced with a dull, cool apathy.

"…the ring… actually makes you _more_ volatile instead of less…"

"It does?" he said, blinking at her. "Really?"

He put it back on.

…

"Ugh… no, no, no – fuck that. I've got god-like power at my fingertips, and you want me to become a shitty ass hero? No – no – no – fuck you. Fuck. That."

He took it off.

"I'm not really seeing much of a difference."

Her right eye twitched even harder. "Maybe you should… put in on, for a day? If you don't really see a difference?"

He looked over to her, shrugging, and slipped the ring back on his pinky finger.

…

And he promptly walked up to her and grabbed her by the tits.

"Yeah! I _didn't ask_ and I'm _groping her tits!_ HAH! You see that? You fucking see that?"

Her right eye continued twitching.

She was no expert, but it seemed that the ring's suggestive and calming influences were just in total and complete opposition to Seth's personality that his brain fought hard constantly in order to prevent him from acting on the ring's suggestions. His will was too strong for him to do things that he didn't want to, and the idea of peace and pacifism just didn't mesh well with his psyche.

 _Though… why doesn't he realize that he's more like himself with the ring on than without it?_

"Oi, Viser, I'm about to fucking molest these teenage bullies. I need you holding the blowtorch while I go grab the amphetamines."

 _Okay… maybe that's going a little bit too far –_

"When we're done, we'll pump heroin and platypus venom into their bloodstream! You like that! Huh?! You fucking like that?!"

On second thought, _maybe_ telling him to leave the ring on was a bad idea.

"Then we're going to have an orgy in the middle of the fucking park! You know why? _Fuck you_ , that's why! WHOO!"

 _Definitely_ , a bad idea.

"I'M A BADASS MOTHERFUCKER AND I FUCKING KNOW IT!"


	12. Let's Get Even As The World Burns

**I find it amusing when people consistently give me reasons to lack faith in humanity. Egotistical creatures that are nothing but self-aggrandizing bags of meat consistently believing in a warped sense of moral superiority.**

 **I got death threats from about three people for last chapter. Anonymously, of course, as cowards tend to do things in that manner.**

 **They weren't even remotely original, going along the lines of promising to strangle me if I'm caught walking down an alleyway with rather gruesome details, or saying that they'd help my mother finish the abortion she forgot. You know, that kind of thing.**

 **Were I a person of weaker constitution, I'd have deleted all my stories and quit writing fan-fiction. I came to this site to escape from bitter reality, and not to face anonymous strangers wishing me dead because of their inability to accept that the world is not rainbows and sparkly unicorns, and yes, people do, can and _are_ sexually assaulted. **

**What amuses me most, is that you hate and revile the concept of _fictional characters_ being raped so much that you'd effectively send _death threats_ to a random stranger on the internet in order to sate your sense of _moral righteousness._**

 **The inability to see the hypocrisy just makes me pity you.**

* * *

 **Underworld**

 **Secret Location**

A dark-skinned woman profligately stormed into a room, her chest heaving and dropping as her long slender legs took extended strides.

"Have you heard?"

She announced to the room, turning to the members present.

"I do not believe there is anyone who has not heard." One of the members, with thick brown hair responded. "The rumors are everywhere. Supposedly the Sitri heiress was violated to brink of death and the Gremory heiress lost some of her minions."

The woman's lips coiled into a sharp smile. "Those Fake Satans won't take action. They love their pacifistic and naïve peace too much to do anything. If only one of the heiresses had met their demise…"

"Perhaps." Another man said. "But, this _does_ present an opportunity for us. It'll be easier to eliminate the fakes during a battle than in a time of peace."

"That is why I've brought a proposition. I think we should take action." She said sharply. "All the factions are going to come together and meet on neutral soil to discuss and investigate the happenings."

"We're going to ambush them?"

The woman let out a large laugh. "Ambush them? No – no – while they're busy having their peace talks, we're going to be attacking far more important targets…"

"We have to inform him first. And… _it_."

She waved her hand dismissively. "The Dragon-God cares little for what we do. Although, there _is_ another dragon that we can lure to our side. If we have _both_ the Heavenly Dragons with us… our plans will definitely succeed."

* * *

XXXX

* * *

 **Kuoh**

 **Dead Man's Drink**

The possibility of the fact that I'd spent more than forty days with time stopped only occurred to me when I would _blink_ , and all at once, hours would have passed by. I would do an activity for what felt like thirty minutes, and I'd look out the window to suddenly realize it was a new day. My sense of time was utterly and completely out of whack in such a way that I didn't fucking know how to get it back together again.

As if I didn't have problems trying to fucking fix that up, I realized that I'd essentially fucked up a lot of shit by blowing up Kuoh Academy.

I mean… sure, _I was bored_ was the excuse I'd give because time was stopped and all that shit – but…

The first thing that _really_ made me realize how much I'd fucked up, was when my hearing couldn't pick up Sona or Rias, or Rias' peerage anymore.

They'd gone back to the underworld. Kuoh was now _officially_ devil-free.

I was the sole, strongest supernatural being in the town. In a town that had a grim eeriness and a thick air of mourning and depression because, as you know, Kuoh Academy was burned down, and several students were killed. Well – _killed_ or _missing_.

A red-haired girl moved around the club, serving drinks to patrons in an outfit that clearly wasn't legal. It was a modified school-girl's outfit, with the skirt being far shorter than allowed, and the top half undone and half tied to her toned stomach. Her nipples poked out from the material, and there was a glow-in-the-dark _choker_ around her neck. Of course, her skin was powdered pale and her clothes had red splotches on it that matched her 'undead' make-up.

Another girl, green-haired, wore the same outfit, moving about the bar with ease and serving the few patrons who's eyes leered, but their hands never strayed. Not that it _could_ , ever since I figured out how to apply my **Calm** enchantment to the door and building. Anyone who entered my club would find themselves incapable of violent or otherwise activities. They'd feel high, happy, and content – and would of course be a lot willing to spend their hard-earned cash.

Not that I _needed_ their money anyway…

I tossed a ring up and down in my palm. The **Calming Ring** apparently could not sustain or maintain its effects on someone like myself without losing its "charge" so to speak. Normally, enchanted apparels never needed to be recharged, but, items were never supposed to be enchanted with a continuous **Calm** effect either, so I couldn't complain.

"Seth-sama~" a whining voice called out to me. I blinked, turning to her, the blonde haired girl who sighed at me. "You were zoning out again."

"I was?"

She nodded, pouting. "If I'd left you, you'd have been staring straight into space for a whole day again. It makes the customers look at you funny."

I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head. "Sorry – sorry."

Asia Argento stood, effectively the same person, yet, effectively someone different. Her hair had been done into a single ponytail, gone were her nun's clothes, replaced with a casual blue sundress. The sundress was on the short side, and on the slightly revealing side, with most of her back being exposed. A pair of glistening earrings accompanied her sundress, and the most noticeable piece of jewelry was the small sapphire **Amulet** that hung over her neck. She didn't wear a bra, boldly, and there was a confident, secure smile on her face that almost seemed out of place.

"You're wearing it. _Again_."

Asia's smile widened a bit, before lightly touching the amulet on her chest. "You're the one who gave it to me Seth-sama."

"I did." I admitted. "But you know what it does to you."

She pouted. "I like feeling this way."

I rose an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean Seth-sama. I like feeling… _confident_." She breathed. "Like I can _do anything!_ " she bounced a bit, before twirling and then clasping her hands together. "I was always so _scared_ and _worried_ about everything. Always wondering if I'd say the wrong thing or do something strange or offend someone and – and the church, I love them but… they never let me be... _me_."

I rubbed my nose slightly. "I understand Asia, but I gave you the **Amulet of Courage** so you'd use it in case of emergencies or situations that _really_ needed it. I didn't expect or intend for you to wear it _all_ the time."

"But I –"

"Asia," I interrupted her. "You don't need a special trinket to be courageous." I lightly pointed to her chest. "You just need heart. And you have that in spades."

Her cheeks gained a light dusting of pink. "You – you – your words always… make me feel…" she coughed a bit. "Maybe I can… use it lightly? As a training aid?"

I thought it over, before relenting with a nod. "But for now –" My [ **Telekinesis** ] came active, lightly lifting the object off her neck and slowly falling into my right palm.

The transformation was immediate, as the girl's face burned a hot red, and her gaze diverted away from my eyes and stared at herself, and it went even hotter as she realized just how short and revealing her clothes were. Her arms crossed over her braless chest to hide her nipples, and she awkwardly gestured her palms outward.

"A-a-ah, c-c-c-can I-I-I g-get t-t-the A-a-amulet back?"

I grinned a bit. "You know, I actually think you're cuter this way."

Her face burned even redder. If this was an anime, there would probably be steam coming out of her ears.

"Here you go." I dropped the amulet into her palm. I saw her momentarily fidget as she contemplated putting it back on immediately, but, she stopped herself.

"A-ano, S-Seth-sama, d-d-do you r-really t-think I-I c-can be c-c-confident w-without i-it?"

I nodded. "You're not even eighteen yet. In enough time, you'll definitely be confident without it."

She nodded her head demurely, before rushing off. I grinned at the sight, before shaking my head at Asia's antics. Ah… Asia, the only person who could restore my faith in humanity. Or rather, the only person who _could_ restore my faith in humanity. Since her exposure to me, and the fact that she technically lived in a nightclub, her innocence was chipping away day by day. It didn't help that my pheromones were constantly **Boosted** to such a degree that I'd have given Azazel himself a run for his money.

My pure, little, innocent Asia had discovered the glory of masturbation after four days of being exposed to my scent. She tried to be quiet about it, of course, but, _enhanced hearing_ , and I'd certainly heard every tiny detail.

Alas, a tragedy, alas – the most innocent person in this world is corrupted.

 _Speaking of Tragedies…_

"Ah! This wine is amazing!"

"And the girls, so beautiful –"

"Aren't they a little young though?"

"It means they're interns! Starting early! Such a professional attitude – "

My ears picked up the different conversations from the patrons of the nightclub. With all of them under the effect of the strong [ **Calm]** enchantment placed at the door, I had little worries or concerns about someone actually reporting anything that went on here. I could quite frankly kill someone and no one would think twice about it, until they left the building and were quite a fair distance away.

I clapped my hands loudly, drawing the attention of the customers.

"I hope you're all having a great fucking time!" I called out, listening to certain loud cheers and nods of agreements. _Like they can fucking refuse._ "We're going to liven things up a bit, the girls, Kata, Mura and Mika are going to dance!"

Louder cheers of drunken merriment and glee filled up the room, and I lightly snapped my fingers, gesturing to the girls in question.

"Viser!" I called out. "Music!" the Nightclub's sound system blared to life as three girls simultaneously climbed the stage, one holding the pole, and the other two standing beside her.

I left it to the zombie girl to choose the soundtracks. Not that what she chose would have mattered a dime. She could have played _Gangnam Style_ for what it was worth, and the customers would believe they were listening to a masterpiece composed by a partnership of Mozart, Beethoven and Freddie Mercury.

Music blared, and three teenagers stripped to the cheers of stressed out salarymen.

A nice cool glass of **Nord Mead** appeared in my palm as I watched men excitedly toss the contents of their wallets into the air.

Just another day, I suppose.

I casually walked away from the uproar of cheers and the loud music, making my way to the basement, and from the basement, I made my way down to my Bond-Villain-Lair, finding my armchair and promptly sitting myself on it.

I put my fingers together, closed my eyes, and then focused sharply on my hearing. I reached out, to the motel where I'd once taken Freed from, and, unsurprisingly, it was dead silent. I reached out to Kuoh, finding that it was silent as well. Not even rats or insects were left in the burnt remnants of the school. I reached my hearing to be able to find _any_ potential female of interest and…

Nothing.

"Damn."

I opened my eyes, and took a deep breath.

"…where do I go from here?"

I had so much power at my fingertips, but knowledge on how to properly use that power to get my goals was fucking scarce. Ddraig's answer to that question had always been "YOU'RE A DRAGON! TAKE WHATEVER YOU WANT!" and that ended with people ganging up against him, killing him, and enslaving his soul.

I could _probably_ take on a majority of the world and come out on top – but there were too many fucking people I didn't know about or could account for. So, brute force was out.

 _Maybe_ I'd go the mind-control route after all? Would I?

I shook my head. Nah. Fuck it. I needed a fact check.

"I'm arguably one of the most powerful people in the world."

True.

"I want girls. Waifu materials."

True.

"And I want them to join me _without_ brainwashing them."

Also true.

"Can I do it?"

…

That's where it got slightly mixed up. Although my basic manipulations of Asia worked, Asia was, unfortunately, _rather easy_ to manipulate. A church girl without any experience of the outside world or any real role models, figures or opinions of her own?

 _Come on!_ Practically the prime target for fuck-boys.

A group of women with complicated backstories, pasts, motivations, dreams and differing personalities…?

 _Not_ so easy.

"Assuming I _haven't_ somehow restarted the war… how would I have seduced them?"

My intentions for Koneko had been for her to come and meet me due to hanging bait about her sister. But, I'd stopped time, and been too fucking bored and numb to care or even _remember_ that little detail as I burned down the school and set up the events that followed it.

For Akeno… I had zilch. Except probably trying to use her whole Fallen Angel angle somehow.

For Rias? Probably clinch on to her greed for power. Problem was, I'd never become a member of her peerage, so it was going to be difficult.

For Sona? Zilch. I didn't even know her basic motivations. I think she wanted to create a rating game school or something.

Xenovia? Irina? Zip and Nil. I'm not Issei, so I have no connection to Irina. And the whole announcement about 'God is dead' hadn't happened here, so Xenovia was actually unlikely to join me and abandon the church.

 _Willingly_ , anyway.

"Well fuck."

In this world, offering the basest of polite words and kindness would _not_ make women fall head over heels for you. Asia was potentially the only exception because of her relative innocence and lack of experience. I doubted _anyone_ had ever tried to seduce her before, so she wouldn't know how to handle it. In contrast, I'd be dealing with women who'd be on guard for this complete random stranger who appears and seemingly is interested in them for an unknown, inexplicable reason.

"…it shouldn't really be this hard to get a harem, should it?"

Hell, people usually got it easily in fan fics and stories that I remember reading. The fucking problem of course, was that a lot of those so-called harem stories had women as more-or-less idiotic objects with no other goal or life purpose than standing prettily beside the protagonist. Rather than, you know, human beings with their own dreams and aspirations.

A part of me wanted to hope and believe that they were as one-dimensional and archetypal as their canon counterparts (who'd fallen for a complete tool like _Issei_ ) but… if they _were_ that one-dimensional…

 _Why the fuck would I want them?_

If they had literally nothing to offer personality-wise except a series of clichéd behaviors, then I'd just brainwash them and be done with it for all the fucking difference it'd make.

I leaned back into my chair and groaned a bit. A lot of my theory was conjecture, but I also had solid facts.

I remembered Kalawarner. A nameless mook in 'canon', but here, she read _Harlequin_ erotica and kept a diary.

I remembered Dohnaseek. Canonically the cliché bowler hat villain no. 1, but here… he was deeply, _immensely_ , obsessed with Raynare.

Mittelt tortured people for fun. Freed was pretty much the exact same asshole, but Raynare's motivations were not as cut-and-clear as her 'canon' version who'd been idiotic and needlessly arrogant.

I remembered the conversation I'd overheard with Raynare and Freed.

 _What_ **did** _she gain from restarting the war?_

I'd never found out her motivations.

Hell, Murayama and Katase had been bullies here, rather than just being another pair of 'extras' filling up the world.

The "waifus" I desired were… _people_.

It was… _weird_ to put it that way, but, that was the only way I could actually, truly put it. I mean, for fuck's sakes, even _Viser_ who'd died without so much as a single line of character development was someone who had her own story to tell.

Was I _really_ going to believe that Rias and Akeno and Sona didn't have theirs?

"A lair. You have a _fucking_ lair. What the… you know what? I'm not even surprised anymore."

I snapped my head up, finding the dyed-blonde ex-stray-devil/zombie girl at the door, shaking her head at the sight of it all. She was _undressed_ , save for some black lacy underwear, and –

"Is that my shirt?"

A nice, dark-red button-up shirt that seemed to be several sizes too large for her hung over her form.

"Yes." She admitted.

"Why are you wearing my shirt?"

"Cause it was funny seeing the nun get all worked up and upset over it because she wanted to do it but was too chicken to do it." Viser rolled her eyes. "I keep telling her that she can probably get away with masturbating with your fucking toothbrush if she wanted to, but – "

"Stop." I interrupted her. "I meant, why are you wearing my shirt when we… have… customers…"

I trailed off, before sighing as I smacked my palms in irritation and realization.

"…how many fucking hours?"

"Ten and a half." She replied dryly. "It's morning. The customers left six hours ago. Asia's awake. Mura and Kata are making breakfast. Mika's cleaning up the place."

"Ten and a – " I swore.

 _Come fucking on!_ It couldn't have been up to thirty fucking minutes since I came down here.

"Give me a moment. I'll be up with you soon."

Viser stood there, and I quirked my eyebrow at her.

"What?"

"It's been a week."

"…a week?"

"A week." She nodded.

I frowned. "I don't understand."

"You haven't had sex with anyone in over a week." She pointed out. "Not me, not the nun, not the _slaves_. You haven't even done anything remotely sexual in a _week_."

Oh. _Had I_? For forty days – _I'm sticking with forty days because fuck it, I don't want to assign a larger figure –_ I'd been privy to their naked bodies, all laid bare in my vision, and I hadn't done anything sexual with anyone in all that time. I'd probably memorized every single aspect of their naked bodies and knew it in more intimate detail than they did. The appeal kind of wore off after a while, like watching the same porn video a dozen times over.

 _Though that doesn't explain why I'm not even vaguely interested in the new girls…_

"Wait, are you… _complaining_?" I asked, confused. "Shouldn't you be… happy? Or something?"

"It's just…" she seemed conflicted over something, before shaking her head. "Never mind. It's… not important."

I watched her leave the room, scratching my brow in confusion.

 _What the hell was that about?_

* * *

 _XXXXXX_

* * *

 **Dead Man's Drink**

 **9:22 AM**

"A-ano… school? Y-you… want to enroll me in… school?"

Viser worked the bar, polishing the counter with a rag while practicing flipping bottles with surprising dexterity. Asia sat beside me on one of the seats, a plate of rice, some egg, soup, and other Japanese delicacies that I had no idea what they were called, all neatly presented before her. Murayama was sweeping while Katase mopped up the floor, and Mikami, the third girl, cleaned tables and chairs with a rag.

"Murayama and Katase will help you get up to speed with the basics, but, you probably still need to attend high school and college eventually."

Asia's lips quivered. "A-are y-you sending me away?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm not." I explained. "Strange as this sounds, I actually want you to have a life that's more than about just… _me_."

"B-but you – I –"

"What are your goals for the future, Asia?"

The nun looked down, staring into her soup quietly. "I… I don't really know. I – I thought I'd always be with the church. I wanted to just keep making the Almighty proud, to keep healing people."

"Before they excommunicated you."

She nodded. "I don't… I still don't know why – why would they –" she shook her head. "I'd always been taught that you help people in need, when they're injured! That if you can help someone, you should! But, but when I helped that devil…"

I momentarily debated telling her about the ass-wipe that was Diodora Astaroth. Maybe. But… I couldn't necessarily call the guy an asshole without being a major fucking hypocrite.

"That's one of the reasons I'm sending you to school." I said. "You're still young," _really fucking young by supernatural standards_ "so you have enough time to decide what you want to be. If you like helping people, healing them – you could go on to become a doctor, or a surgeon."

She stared at me as though I'd spoken French.

"A… s-surgeon? M-me?"

I resisted the urge to laugh at her expression.

"Why not?"

"I-I- never – I-I don't think I can – I mean –"

"Asia."

She stopped her stammering.

I took in a deep breath. "They damaged you, Asia."

"W-what?"

"The Church." I said, shaking my head. "They did more damage to you than good if I'm being honest. You're Rapunzel, only, without the funny horse and quirky thief for comic relief."

She tilted her head. "Rapunzel?"

I cringed a little bit. _Oh… yeah._

"Have you ever heard of Disney Princesses? Cinderella? Belle?"

She wavered. "I'm sorry – I – I – I don't know anything about French royal families."

"They're not –" I stopped.

Wow.

 _Wow._

 _Did she –_

Staring at those emerald green eyes of innocence somehow sent a shudder of _something_ down my spine.

"Disney Princesses aren't real people. They're fictional characters, that young girls grow accustomed to and dream of becoming like them."

Asia frowned. "Ah… I wouldn't have heard of them. The church only let us read biblical materials – we looked up to Queen Esther, to Deborah, and to the Holy Mary."

 _I figured as much._ "Asia… how often did you interact with people your own age when you were at the church?"

She reached for another spoon of her rice, taking a bite, before looking up in consideration. "Um… not… much. Most of them usually came to bow and thank me for healing them, and… well…"

 _Oh_.

"How often were you allowed out of the church?"

"Oh many times!" she said exuberantly. "There were many places to see, and many people to heal, I was taken out for evangelism and I'd get to meet many people who –"

"Stop, stop." I said, sighing. "I mean, how many times you were let out of the church, on things _not related_ to the church. Like… going to a restaurant. Going shopping. Or even going for a _jog_."

"There was always plenty of food available on a strict schedule and time table! I didn't really need to go to a restaurant. Father Amos and Sister Beatrice bought me clothes – so I never really needed to –"

"So they never let you out on your own."

I rubbed the bridge of my nose in slight irritation, my gaze momentarily flickering to Viser who couldn't quite hide her surprise.

What brought up the possibility that Asia never had the chance to even _live_ like an average teenage girl was the fact that, in the anime, _she'd never heard of a hamburger before_.

Even people in fucking _Africa_ have heard of hamburgers. You either had to _really_ try hard as fuck to actually make it that a person would have lived for sixteen (fifteen?) years without ever hearing of one.

 _She thought Cinderella was a real person… a person that was of the French royal family._

She was making me feel really, _really_ guilty about corrupting someone so… so…

"Asia."

She ate some more rice, her eyes still carrying that sparkling light in them.

"Yes, Seth-san?"

Fuck – Fuck – I could feel my _something_ cracking –

 _Those eyes_ –

 _Those eyes_ –

It was like staring at a child, a carefree, happy child –

"I really have to thank you, Seth-san!" Asia said, slowly clapping her hands together, "I – I don't know where I'd be without someone like y-you helping me. Y-you're always so k-kind and y-you've helped me even try to b-become more confident." She looked down. "Y-you even want to help me b-become a doctor… y-you're… I – I really don't know how to repay you –"

I sighed.

"Asia. I'm not a kind person."

"Ah? But you –"

"Those girls that you see?" I pointed to Katase, Murayama and their friend. "They're my _slaves_. They're not here on their own free will. The collar they wear has an effect that makes them submissive to me."

Her eyes widened.

"I'm a Vampire, Asia." I said, casting **[Conjure Familiar]** and watching as a midnight-black bat appeared in my palm, before I dispelled it. "I'm also a Dragon. I'm a vulgar, profane, probably insane person, living a life that I don't even fully understand."

I – _fuck… what the hell am I doing?_

"I didn't help you because god told me to, because I'm a kind or decent person – or anything remotely like that. I did it because I wanted to seduce you and have sex with you."

The room was unnervingly quiet.

"But… I just realized… _I can't_." I inhaled sharply. "I _can't._ I just _can't do it._ You're…" I took another deep breath. "You've kind of been dealt a pretty shitty life already. All you've ever done is help people and try to help people. And no matter what life sent your way, you just _kept smiling_ – you haven't –"

I ran my hand through my hair in exasperation.

" _You don't deserve_ _this_." I whispered. "You deserve… to actually be _happy._ Real happiness. For once in your fucking beautiful life before you die and go to heaven – because if there's anyone in this godforsaken world that deserves heaven, it's _you_."

The silence stretched.

"I'm sorry."

Asia stared at me, and I noticed how her hands covered her mouth, as pinpricks of tears stung at the corner of her face. I winced at that. Shit… I didn't mean to make her cry –

"T-thank you, Seth-san." She said. "No one has ever… said something like that to me before –"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"You – you _are_ a kind person Seth-san. Even if you don't believe it."

I definitely could not believe what I was hearing.

"If – if it was with such a kind person like you Seth-san… then I – I wouldn't mind –"

I _absolutely_ could not _fucking_ believe what I was hearing!

"Asia, no – no – that's – that's the _exact_ opposite of what I want!"

"If – if you… _lay_ with me… will… will you be gentle?"

It was a rare experience to find myself speechless.

"Asia –" shit was this – was this – "Asia, this – this is the pheromones talking. It isn't you – it isn't what _you_ want –"

She looked into my eyes. " _Will_ _you_?" she asked again. "W-will you be gentle?"

I swallowed. "As much as I possibly can."

"And… if – if I… do that… with you… will… will take care of me? I – I really don't have anywhere else to go and… and… I don't have anyone… so… if… if it's what it takes – then – then I – with someone like you – if you're gentle –"

If I said yes.

If I said _yes_.

 _If I said yes_ –

 _She's offering herself right here… isn't this what I want? Sexy time loving baby! Shouldn't I be happy about this development?_

My lips were unusually dry.

My hands trembled.

 _Come on! Say yes! It isn't like she isn't going to enjoy the sex! You win, she wins, everybody fucking wins! It's a fucking great business transaction!_

Her eyes gazed into mine.

"S-so… if – if you're gentle… then… I…don't – mind… b-b-but if – if I do… w-w-will… will you be m-m-m-my… f-friend a-as well?"

I… I grit my teeth.

 _Fuck it._

"Yes."

"O-oh… then –"

"I'll be your friend Asia. Fuck, I'll take care of you. And in exchange you'll continue to give me what I want –"

Her face creased. "Ah – I'll my…"

I rose my hand to her face, watching as she nervously waited for me to touch her. And I did. I did touch her.

I pinched her cheek.

"That smile."

Her face morphed into one of confusion. "A-ah?"

"I'm not a good person Asia, but… fuck, there are some fucking things in this world more important than sex." I said. "I'll be your friend Asia, and I'll take care of you, all I want for you to give me…"

I slowly caressed her chin.

"Is your smile."

The girl in front of me shook, her entire body trembled, and eventually, I saw it, on her face.

 _That smile_.

She bawled directly into my chest immediately afterwards.

" _Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou –"_

I let my arms wrap around her, carefully, as tears and snot ruined my shirt, I embraced her close.

Ah, the things I do –

All for my waifu.

* * *

XXXXX

* * *

Asia returned upstairs to get herself cleaned of all the snot and tears, and I sat on one of the barstools as I looked over to Viser, who remained silent throughout the whole ordeal. I pointed to one of the drinks.

"Get me the **Velvet LeChance**. I need… a drink… or a hundred."

Viser obeyed without a word, grabbing it, pouring it into a mug and then passing it to me. The sensation of it burning the back of my throat and leaving my chest with a warm, hot feeling soothed my mind only momentarily, before I turned my attention back to Viser.

"You can say whatever's on your mind."

"What makes you think I have anything on my mind?"

"You're my **Conjuration**. I'm your master. I can sense changes in your emotions and I always have a connection to you."

Viser frowned. "That… was not what I was expecting."

"Oh?"

"You know what the strongest memory I have of you is?"

"No," I admitted, taking a drink from the liquor. "What is it?"

"It's of you fucking my skull senseless."

…Oh.

"Oh."

"How do you go from fucking my skull like a maniac to… _this_?"

I rose a brow. "This?"

"Being a person who lets a freeloader stay at his place for no real reason except a sad sob story."

"Watch it." I warned.

"I get that she's got a shitty hand at life… but who doesn't really?" Viser shrugged. "My former King would have nodded, and then said 'oh, that's too bad, now shut up, and spread your legs' without a care."

"I'm playing at an angle," I said simply. "It's better if she falls in love with me and later wants to have sex with me of her own free will. Besides, my pheromones –"

"You're just saying that to make yourself feel fucking better about it." Viser said with a snort. "You did a _kind_ thing, and now you're trying to twist it around to make it seem otherwise? I seriously don't understand you. One minute you're all "let's shoot up the slaves with heroin!" and the next you act like a decent person, but whenever you do, you try to do something even _worse_ to make up for it. Are you afraid of being kind or something?"

I snorted. "You're ridiculous."

"No, really, you give off that vibe. Like… you feel you _have_ to be some hardass fucker for some reason. Like those women who become lesbian man-haters because they had their heart broken one too many times or got raped one time and then fucking put up walls to hide how lonely and miserable they are inside."

I gestured to myself. "Do I look like someone's who's fucking lonely and miserable?"

"No, but you don't look like someone who's happy either." She pointed. "You literally have women, money and power, things most men would kill for and never get… but you don't really seem to… _enjoy_ any of it."

Me? Not enjoy money and women and sex?

I laughed. "You're kidding right?"

"No, I'm not. I don't get you. You have slaves you haven't touched. Cash you hardly spend. Power you barely use. Because you don't… _value_ any of it. It's like you value some abstract concept or idea, or goal or dream, and you think that getting it can _complete_ _you_. Make you happy."

She scowled.

"But you either don't know, or don't want to admit that if you got it, whatever it is… you wouldn't feel happier. You won't be complete. You'd just be… _emptier_."

I flinched.

"Wonderful." I snarked. "Let's add _psychiatrist_ to your list of jobs now. Slave, maid, waitress, bartender, DJ, cumdumpster and _psychiatrist_. Time's Woman of the Year! The Stray Devil Zombie Girl."

Viser's fist balled up. "Oh, sure, I'm just the zombie-girl. It's not like I wasn't a person on my own before I became a devil. It's not like I didn't have family or friends, or school or work, or a fucking reason for living." She snarled back. "I clearly never went to college and have never felt emotions. What do I know? I'm just a bloody minion, so who am I to start butting-in and making comments on the life of the all-powerful Vampire Dragon Emperor?"

She gave a mocking bow.

"Hail his holiness! He who has everything and lacks nothing! He whose wisdom and experience surpasses all!"

" _Shut up_."

Her mouth immediately clamped shut. The _order_ was followed. She stood there, her gaze still on me, piercing.

"You can talk."

She could, but she didn't say anything. She just continued to glare at me.

"…That… I shouldn't…"

"No, I'm your _slave_ aren't I? I agreed to this… so you can feel free to shut me up whenever you don't like what I'm saying. It's within your rights as my _master_." She growled. "It's not like my former _King_ did any different. Don't worry about hurting my feelings or anything, I'm a slave, so I don't have any. Yup, just let me be the perfect sycophant that strokes your ego and your cock."

"Are you _trying_ to piss me off?" I snarled at her.

"Are you going to _punish_ me if I do?" she shot back. "Cause from what I've seen with the nun, despite all that power – you're just huge, fucking _pussy_!"

I grabbed her by the neck, slamming her head against the counter. I dragged her _over_ the counter, to the floor, my feet crashed into her windpipe as I put enough force on it to have crushed it if it belonged to a normal woman.

"Is this what you fucking want?" I growled. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

" _What's wrong with me?_ What's wrong with _you?_ " She roared. "You make me your fucking slave and do whatever you want with me, fine! But _she_ gets a free fucking pass because what? Because she's human? Because she has a sob story life? Boo-hoo – I grew up brainwashed and exploited by the church! Everyone fucking pity me! Even the motherfucking bastard who doesn't mind _bringing people back from the dead_ just to fuck them, is going to pity me and leave my chastity intact! Isn't that just fucking great?"

"That's what this is about?" I realized. "You're… you're jealous of Asia?"

"You think _I_ wasn't human once? You think I _wanted_ to become a devil? To become a _stray devil_ and lose my mind for years as some… some _monster_? Newsflash! Being a _Stray devil_ means _you ran away_ and decided that becoming a mindless monster and being hunted _every single day_ of your life was a _better fucking alternative_!"

My jaw clenched. "If you hated being enslaved so much, why did you agree to become my slave?"

" _Because I didn't think I'd get another chance to live_!" she yelled. "I became a stray devil because I _was ready_ to die. I'd given up everything, _everything –_ " she panted. "And no one fucking gave me any pity! No one looked at me and thought, _why'd you become a stray?_ No one gave a shit about my life or damn about my sob story, and to see that little blonde bitch who hasn't even gone through _half_ of what I suffered just waltz in here and turn on the waterworks and get her happy ending –"

Her expression was torn.

" _How the fuck do you think that makes me feel?_ "

I...

I didn't know what to say to that.

If I'd been a proper shonen category protagonist, this would have been the moment I'd have made some wise, clever, or maybe motivational comeback that'd make everything feel better and heal wounds I didn't even _know_ she was having. It'd be the moment she'd look at me with new light in her eyes, and we'd come to an understanding and develop a closer bond as a result.

But I wasn't a shonen protagonist.

"I – I didn't… know."

She laughed. "And if you did, would you _care_?"

Would I?

If _Viser_ told me that she was upset by my choice with Asia, would I _care?_

Did I even _care_ about her? If she were to die (again) would I miss her? Or would I shrug and carry on with indifference at the loss of a _minor_ _character_?

She took my silence as my answer.

"I fucking thought so _._ "

A part of me felt irritated. Who the hell was she to be mouthing off to me like this? If it weren't for me, she'd either be dead or still be wandering around the world as a monster. If it weren't for me –

 _Stop._

 _Stop._

This… she had her grievances. I couldn't just snort and dismiss her complaints because she's my slave and hence her _feelings_ _didn't matter_. That she _knew what she was getting into_. That _I didn't care_.

Viser was not part of my harem. Not really. I didn't really consider her as "waifu" material. But, I knew, that managing a harem would actually entail managing people's emotions and feelings. What if this was Koneko instead? Would I snort and say, "I own you so all your feelings are irrelevant?"

"What exactly do you want from me?"

"I want you to take back your word and fuck the nun."

I shook my head. "I can't do that."

"Can't, or won't?"

"Both." I said. "You don't gain anything from me doing that except making someone feel as miserable as you once did. That's just bitter pettiness."

"So what if it is?"

"I can't do that." I repeated.

"Why?" Viser growled. "Why does _she_ get special treatment?"

"She… just _does_."

A thick silence filled up the room.

"I'm… sorry."

A thick laugh of irony filled the room.

"No you're not. Not really."

I removed my foot from her throat, and she sat. The silence between us stretched out even more.

"The nun… she was right you know."

"What?"

"She was right about you." Viser said, breathing. "I kept expecting you to either kill me or shut me up or just tell me that whatever I felt didn't matter. That _I_ didn't matter. That you didn't care. That I'm your slave, and that's that. But you didn't do it. You didn't just… _end_ me. Even though you could have. If the roles were reversed… I don't know if I'd have done the same."

She muttered something under her breath. "You… really are… a good person deep inside."

I laughed.

"I'm really, _really_ not."

Viser shook her head. "With all the power you have… you don't seem to do things out of malice or hate."

"And that somehow makes me a good person?"

"It means you're not unnecessarily vindictive. You're not _cruel_. And that makes you a better person than most."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "If the basis for someone being a good person is ' _lacking cruelty_ ,' then it's a sad fucking world out there."

"I… guess it is."

…

"Thank you, Seth."

"For what?"

"For making me feel like I mattered… even for just a brief while. Like what I felt actually mattered."

Viser relaxed, stretching out on the floor and closing her eyes.

"I'd forgotten… what it felt like."

…

…

"What was his name?"

Viser sat up. "What?"

"Your former king." I elaborated. "What. Was. His. Name?"

* * *

XXXXXX

* * *

 **Railway to the Underworld**

"Y-you can't do this –" she pleaded. "I mean – I'm _not worth it_ – this – this is insane –"

He wasn't listening to her anymore. She wondered if that was a good thing or a horribly, horribly bad one. She bit her lip as she watched him effortlessly fling aside the numerous devil guards protecting the hidden railway used by families of the 72 pillars in order to reach the underworld. No effort was needed other than a casual flick of his wrists, and devils were sent crashing into the floor with ludicrous amounts of telekinetic force.

"Seth-sama, _please_ – _listen_ to me –"

She found herself being carried along bridal style, her face burning despite being undead, as they found themselves inside the train, and her master used an unknown magic to bend devils to his will and make them start the engines. It was as though he did not care or give any regard to the possible consequences of his action. She herself could not even _believe_ that they were aboard this train, sweat gathered in her brow as she saw the sigils and knew that this particular train they'd hijacked belonged to the Gremory Clan.

"T-they'll be repercussions! Consequences! My former King is a member of the 72 Pillar Clans! The Clan Head! You can't just _storm_ into the underworld and kill him!"

His hand smoothly landed on her hair.

"Watch me."

She wanted to tear out her hair in frustration. She wanted to scream at him, but she didn't know how. It wasn't that she doubted his strength, no, how could she? It was the exact opposite. She couldn't wrap her head around the concept. Around the _idea_ of what he was doing for her. Of _why_ he was doing it for her.

"But – but…" her voice cracked " _Why?_ I'm just your slave! _Why are you going so far for someone like me?!_ "

He didn't answer, instead, he closed his eyes, seemingly focusing on something, leaving her gritting her teeth in frustration.

"…found it."

"What?"

He grabbed her tightly by the waist.

"Hold on. This can get disorienting."

The world _blurred_. Colors, sounds, shapes, she could barely make out any of it. Her sense of time and place was lost to the swirling kaleidoscope. There was nothing but a sea of colors for what felt like ages –

Until it stopped.

They were no longer on the train. They were no longer entering the underworld. Instead, she found herself standing at a familiar gate that she swore she'd never see again. She found herself in a place that immediately made her stiffen up with fear. Her legs trembled. Her hands shook as memories unbidden rushed through the forefront of her mind.

"H-h-how did you f-find… how did you know… this… place?"

"Clairvoyance."

The one word answer was all that he uttered, before he stood in front of the massive gates, and took in a deep, _large_ breath of air.

" **YOL."**

* * *

XXXX

* * *

If my life was a shounen anime, this would be the confrontation where Viser would meet her old King and have some sort of bitter reunion. She'd explain how she'd become a better person, or rant and get it off her chest as to how much she loathed him and was happy to see his demise. Perhaps, the evil villain would laugh and mock her, saying she'd only traded one chain for another, or maybe he'd rant and scream and deny his approaching death like a trite B-movie antagonist. Feasibly he'd even try to beg for his life, or state that we were not so different, offering me something in exchange for mercy.

But my life wasn't a shounen anime.

In reality, I walked through the burning remains of a beautiful mansion, as the harsh begging screeches of devils echoed in the background, all desperate to eliminate the draconic flames that stuck to them like thick adhesive. My mind was unusually clear as I walked forward, [ **Telekinesis** ] effortlessly reaching out snapping the necks of those idiotic enough to stand in my way.

Viser trailed behind me, and I didn't bother looking at her expression as I approached the main room, telekinetically blasting the door off its hinges, to the sight of the unsurprisingly pudgy devil that I knew was Viser's master from my use of [ **Clairvoyance** ]. He was surrounded by his peerage, all women of varying ages, all of which stood shakily in front of him.

"Who the hell do you think you a – _GURK!_ "

I grabbed his tongue with my mind, ripping it out of his mouth and sending it soaring into my outstretched right hand. My left hand rose, and the room was filled with a series of _sickening_ cracks as I systematically broke bone after bone.

Femur. Shoulders. Knees. Arms. Ankles. Fingers. Toes. Ribs. Hips. Spine. Skull.

Horrified, begging, gurgling screeches reached throughout the air as the man's servants called out his name.

"? # -Sama!"

Even with all my enhanced hearing, I didn't make out the name.

No. It was that I _didn't_ _want_ to make out the name. An insignificant side character whose life held less value to me than a bottle cap did not deserve the fucking honor of having his name remembered.

I jerked my hand back and his beating heart tore out of his shattered ribs and into my palm alongside his tongue. I levitated his shattered heap of a boneless body into the air, before squeezing my fingers and watching as the corpse crumpled sickeningly into a fleshy, bloody ball that got tighter and more compact, until it exploded. The women of his peerage in front of me shook like leaves in the wind as they were showered with the chunky and fleshy remains of their master.

I ignored their screeches of horror as I walked towards Viser's frozen form, casually holding the heart and the tongue in both my hands. All that was left of the devil, being just the heart, and the tongue.

Her gaze flickered to the two organs, before coming up to reach my eyes, and then going back to the organs, as they lit aflame in my palms, smoldering, vanishing, the thick scent of burning meat tickling my nostrils until there was but ash.

I dusted the ash away from my hands and reached out to pat Viser on her shoulders.

"Y-y-you… w-why… f-f-for me… he – he – for years I – I've always dreamed – but – I – I –"

"I know."

"... _why?_ "

"Because no one else did."

I didn't know how she'd take the answer. I wasn't sure. But, I knew that we couldn't afford to stay here for too long.

"Come on." I said. "We're heading home."


	13. Dragons Are Villains Of Fairy Tales

**So... we're at a 100k words and just finally getting to the meat of this story. Things are going to fucking heat up from here on. Just Remember: No one has Plot Armor in my fics.**

 **Yes, _even the Waifus_.**

* * *

 **Underworld**

 **Phenex Territory**

He'd been awaiting this moment.

There was nothing inherently sweeter than attaining that which a man had longed for. The climax of many a book or movie created by the human world often focused on this lofty acquisition of ideals. Psychologists and philosopher's alike dedicated their entire lives to study the mind and the reason for one's insatiable desire. He cared truly, little for any such things. He could spend his eternity studying the motivations, and he'd discover no conclusion different than the same the millions of minds before him had reached.

"Rias," his voice rumbled, struggling to contain his excitement. The woman before him was not a goddess, for such an inexpensive comparison did not do justice to her. No, she was the woman that goddesses aspired to be. Her imperfections, however little they may be, were the gold-standard that other women strived and failed to reach.

"I assume you are here to finally complete our bargain?" he spoke up, levelly. "It has been a week. I have waited for you to mourn your losses and for Sitri to fully recuperate. Yet, she's not with you."

She was different, than he remembered her. Tragedy built up the soul. Her gaze possessed a darker, almost more cynical tint. Her stance was no longer as self-assured as he remembered. Her body was the same, but her heart… her _soul_ –

"The terms of our arrangement has changed."

He frowned at the words. Those were not the words he wanted to hear. "I do not appreciate jokes of this caliber."

"I've informed Sirzechs-sama and Serafall-sama about your demands. They have agreed to overlook the attempted extortion, as long as you admit that it was a jest made in poor taste, and will give you payment in exchange for the tear you used to save Sona."

He slammed his foot against the ground. Heat began to emit from his form at an increased rate. " _What is the meaning of this bullshit?_ "

She didn't flinch. Didn't waver. Had he read her wrongly? No, he couldn't have. "I owe you my thanks for eliminating the fires and saving Sona. A messenger from the Sitri family will also arrive in order to –"

"I don't want your _thanks_ ," he spat. "I want _you_. You – the woman that fuels my dreams. I want every inch and corner of you to be _mine_. I will accept nothing else." The temperature in the room _spiked_ , before it rapidly calmed. Yes, yes, he needed to remain calm, after all.

"It matters not. You are still my betrothed, and our wedding –"

"Is pending a review." She said simply. "With the approaching war, I've convinced my parents and Sirzechs-sama to see if you were truly worthy of becoming my husband, as you will have numerous chances to prove yourself by gaining renown upon the battlefield."

"You _jest._ "

"I am certain that you will prove yourself effortlessly, Phenex- _sama_. I recommend defeating either a Ten or Twelve-Winged Fallen Angel. Surely, with such accomplishments, your value as my spouse will be without question."

 _Witch! Vixen!_ _Bloody whore!_

No small number of derisive abuses to use against the woman in front of him tore through his mind. Preventing him from gaining what was, what _should_ rightfully be his by using technicality upon technicality, by tying him up in delay after delay –

He could almost _taste_ the smug satisfaction that surrounded the air around her. She believed herself a clever canary who had mastered the art of flight, to dance in the air above the cage of a lion and whisk itself to safety. Had she always been this shrewd? Or perhaps, this aspect of her arrived with the death of her peerage members?

The rumors that Rias Gremory had gone insane, spending long nights reciting morbid poetry and blasting her Power of Destruction unto anything and everything in her sight had been circulating recently. Amidst the false rumors that she had also been violated, or the other rumors that she'd lost limbs. He had paid little attention to any of them, because he cared little for what the grapevine said.

It was his error.

" _Fine_." He spat. "I will, of course, prove myself. I take it you will be doing the same?"

"Oh, certainly not." She offered a polite smile that would not have been out of place on an ex-politician-turned-prostitute. "I am afraid I will see very little combat in the upcoming war. If this of course displeases the Phenex family and yourself, perhaps I am not the right bride for such distinguished warriors. Would I recommend the Agreas family in my stead?"

Anger was an emotion he knew well. An emotion he fought hard to control. His anger was like a buckling beast, a wild, savage, colorblind bull only capable of seeing red, and incapable of being quelled. He felt it, the bull, already stomping it's hooves against dirt and angling it's horns downwards.

"I believed you were smarter than this." he began. "If you are capable of swallowing your ceaseless pride for one _fucking_ second, you would realize that I'm your best _bet_."

"I have completed delivering the message I needed to deliver," she curtsied as tradition demanded. "Thank you for your time, Phenex-sama."

"If you don't marry me, you're ruined." He continued, gesturing his palm outwards. "Amongst the current Rookie Devils, the only person superior to me in strength is your cousin. The only person superior to me in _character_ is your cousin. He's already been expelled from the Bael Clan, and he's not a viable candidate for marriage."

She hadn't left yet. That was a good sign. "Should I decide that you're not worth my time and effort, your next arranged marriage will be with someone both _weaker_ and _less important_ than me. Someone who doesn't want to worship your body like a temple, and instead will use you like an unwanted rag. You may believe that you hate me, but in your desperate attempt to be rid of me, you'll find yourself realizing that I was your _best choice_."

He was not lying. No, he _did_ not lie. Lies were a thing that Riser Phenex did not see the need to partake in. They were pointless to him, blunt truths were far more effective than lies. He knew it, and there was no way that she did not know it as well.

"Thank you for your time."

No sooner had she curtsied again, did the sirens spread across the Devil Underworld begin to blare.

* * *

XXXXXXX

* * *

 **Earlier...**

 **Underworld**

 **? Territory**

She didn't have a beating heart anymore. That organ lay dormant in her chest, a decoration, incapable of pumping or generating the fluid of life that would make her heart beat faster. Lacking the physical aspect of a 'heart', it irked her, _irritated_ her, and absolutely baffled her as to why she could feel a heavy tightness in her chest when her master pressed up against her in the dark alleyway of the street.

She could feel his every breath. She could make out the strong, defined musculature and her hand touched against his stomach in a manner that made her stomach do flip-flops. The very _concept_ of her stomach doing flip-flops almost made her want to slam her head against the nearest object in mortification.

"Stay still," he whispered. "We're invisible and muffled, but we still need to be quiet."

She didn't have the strength in her to protest. She couldn't trust her voice. She _hadn't_ been able to trust her voice ever since she watched him decimate her former King and then utter those unbelievable words:

" _Because no one else did."_

Her stomach churned again and she wanted to barf. It – it couldn't be happening. Not – not to _her_. His actions, she didn't know how to thank him, how to even begin to _thank him_ for it. She didn't know what to say or how to respond to such a gesture. For as long as she remembered, no one, _no one_ , had done such a thing for her.

He pressed up against her and she felt heat begin to charge to her cheeks despite lacking blood. It was different, somehow, and she knew it. She'd had sex with him before, blown him before, but now – _now_ –

Just thinking about him made her dizzy and happy and confused all at the same time. His voice made her want to squeal like a retarded schoolgirl and hop around like a child on a sugar-rush. She _knew_ these feelings. She couldn't _believe_ she was having these feelings. She _hated_ the fact that she was having these feelings.

"Um… S-Seth, you're… really, really, close…"

"Is something wrong?"

She swallowed. What was she supposed to say that wouldn't sound utterly ridiculous?

 _Oh, well, I know I'm your slave and all, but I kinda, maybe, possibly might be falling for you –_

The thought of even _potentially_ admitting something like that almost made her want to bury her head into the nearest mound of earth. She grit her teeth as she realized it.

 _I mean, fuck, it's not like you didn't just do for me something that no one else has ever done and made me feel special or anything –_

Jesus fucking Christ. It was a _stupid_ reason to fall for someone. So what if he killed the one person in the world she hated more than anything and then offered the heart and tongue of the bastard to you like a goddamned knight giving gifts to a macabre princess? It was just one action, just one grand gesture –

But it was enough. People fell in love for idiotic reasons that were immensely less trivial than he'd done for her… there was no way she could pay him back. No way, in a hundred or thousand years could she ever do anything that would be considered equivalent. She replayed the scene over and over and over again in her head, and remembered the words he'd told her

" _Because no one else did."_

Fuck. _Fuck_. This – this would get messy. She _couldn't_ fall for him. No – she wasn't _allowed_ to fall for him. She was his slave, _slave_ , and she highly doubted he would be inclined to suddenly possess any similar feelings for her. She knew her position. She knew her standing. She knew the type of person Seth was. It – it would never happen.

She needed to bury these feelings. Bury them, deep, and never bring them back up. Hopefully, this gesture with Seth was a one-time thing. Soon enough, he'd return to his crazy self, ordering her around and doing things that'd make these annoying feelings die out completely.

"Are you alright?"

"A-ah? Wha – what?"

"You've been unusually quiet."

She swallowed. "It's – it's nothing."

He remained silent for a moment. Her breath hitched. _Please let him not be able to read minds…_

"The final patrol of guards just left." He spoke up. "We can't leave the Underworld with the trains anymore. Sirzechs is there, looking over the damages. I'd like to avoid fighting him for now, so, we need to lay low until we can return to the surface."

She wanted to ask him how he knew, but remembered his previous answer. "Clairvoyance?"

He nodded. "I'm going to change my attire." No sooner than he spoke, he was garbed in a pair of long dark robes and a rather creepy, ominous mask that seemed to _permeate_ with power. "You as well."

He crouched, and vanished. She almost blustered in shock, but stopped herself once she found herself now wearing a pair of form-fitting armor that she'd never before seen before. It felt like it was made out of **leather** , but it was unusually comfortable. Seth re-appeared a moment later.

"…is there anything you _can't_ do?" she couldn't help herself from asking. He seemed to genuinely mull over the answer.

"I'm not sure yet. Give me a list, and I'll probably find something."

She rolled her eyes at the cheeky response. His hand landed on her forehead and her body stilled. "They'll be looking for two people moving together." He explained. "Find a decent hotel or something and lay low. I'll come find you later."

He – he was leaving? "Wait, what about you?"

"…I've never been to the underworld before. I'll do a little sightseeing." He explained.

He – wait, he wasn't seriously going, right? He'd leave her? But – so soon – right after –

 _Snap out of it!_ She took a deep breath, steeling her features as best as she could. "I'll find a good place."

He nodded, although, it was hard to tell with that mask on. "See to it that you do." He crouched, and simply _vanished_ once more from her perception. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't see, smell, hear or detect him anymore. She bit her lip uneasily, but steeled herself.

Seth was depending on her. There was no way she would let him down.

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

"Momma! My pet isn't doing what I tell her to!"

"Just whip her until she responds properly dear, now, I'm off to work."

"H-hey, hey – what's a devil got to do to get some young ass around here?"

"Go search the lower districts. Or find a human – geez, don't be so lazy."

"I heard Fulcras-sama got assassinated!"

"Oh dear!"

"The guards are checking everywhere for the bastard that did it."

"Wait, does that mean Zephydor-sama is the new Clan Head?"

"Damn it, and with the talk about the war starting up again, the Glasya-Labolas Clan can't afford to be weak –"

Conversations upon conversations littered my enhanced hearing. I stalked through the streets with the aid of **Invisibility** and **Muffle** , both unseen and unheard by the denizens of the underworld. I was essentially a phantom, walking around and utilizing my enhanced hearing to pick up on different bits of conversation.

My mind barely focused on them. It barely focused on anything except the pounding, heavy beating of my heart and my own self-fucking-depreciating thoughts.

 _What the fuck did I just do?_

 _What the fuck AM I doing?!_

 _FUCK!_

I wanted to find the nearest object I could punch my hand through it. I was almost tempted to grab a passing pedestrian and slam their face into the earth just for the sake of it.

 _Why the fuck did I do that?_

Why had I descended all the way down to hell just to kill Viser's former King? Why? What prompted that moment of insanity? Was it because of what she said? Was it because, in that one brief moment, she'd tugged at whatever pitiful remains of my heartstrings?

Now, I'd gone and made myself an enemy of the Gremory, because I just _had_ to fucking use their train to get to the underworld. I just _had_ to beat the shit out of the annoying cannon fodder in my quest for some sort of righteous justice.

 _What now? What the fuck am I supposed to do now?_

Rias and her peerage seemed to stray further and further away from me with each and every action. I could probably find Raynare and her posy, but I wasn't confident in my ability to swoop any of them off their feet and turn them to my side. As for Xenovia and Irina? It was a fat-fucking-chance. The Church was treating them like fragile eggs, and the chances of us meeting was next to zero. The chances of me willingly turning them to my side? It was negative one.

I moved through the streets of the underworld with my thoughts flying all over the fucking place. I was in the area belonging to what was essentially the 'middle-class' citizens, in one of the numerous vast territories. I remembered that hell was the exact same size of earth minus the vast oceans, devils owned ridiculous amounts of land that was large enough to be considered a country.

This "Country" so far was apparently held by Viser's former King, the man I'd killed recently. He was supposedly the current clan head of the "Glasya-Labolas" clan, and I didn't know if that was a canonically an important clan or not, but it didn't change the fact that I felt like I didn't have a general direction I was supposed to go.

 _Crack!_

 _Whip!_

My gaze flickered over to a small boy, a devil child, with a long whip in hand, raising it into the air and slashing it down against something. No, against _someone_. A young, dark-skinned girl, shackled and chained, naked, covered with irritating red welts. The girl's mouth was gagged, and she let out muffled screeches each time the whip landed on her.

"Stupid pet! Don't you know I'm your master?!"

I flickered my eyes across the street. It was broad _fucking_ daylight. Well, as much as broad daylight could be in the underworld. People glanced their eyes over the young boy and his 'pet' and no one seemed to bat an eyelash as they continued on their way.

"Hungry tonight. Maybe we should eat out?"

"Hoo! I can't wait for the next episode of Serafall-sama's show!"

"Damn, I wish I was rich and powerful enough to get my own Evil Pieces –"

…

Despite the neatly cobbled streets that would not be out of place on the fucking posters for a first world country, the people dressed in fancy robes and garments and moving around with genial smiles, no one seemed to actually… _give a fuck_ about the kid whipping his 'pet' in the middle of the street.

… _Should I give a fuck about this?_

I looked over the girl. There was no mistaking it. She was human. Dark-skinned so either African or African-American. The boy was clearly a devil, judging by his too-pristine appearance I'd come to associate with the devil-race. His hand rose up again, the whip cracking in the air and slamming down on the girl's form once more. She shook and shivered in pain, and it occurred to me that this scene would not be out of place in a documentary on slavery.

I shook my head. Fuck, I already had enough to think about, and most importantly, _I need to lay low_.

I ignored the scene. Invisible, I stalked past the boy whipping his pet, turning my eyes and ears in any other direction. I didn't come to hell to become liberator of slaves. I wasn't Daenarys-fucking-Targaryan. I had slaves of my own, so it'd be really fucking hypocritical of me to tell someone else not to own theirs or do what they wanted with theirs.

"Hey, kid – your _pet_ –"

I'd already past the boy, though, my hearing was still locked on to him. I could also hear the footsteps of some men, three men, devils, by the sounds of it.

"Hmmm? Whad'ya want?"

"Here's fifty copper shekels. Go get yourself something nice. We'll borrow her off your hands for a while."

"Really? Awesome!"

I didn't need my ears to know what happened next, or to know what was _going_ to happen next. I shifted my hearing to something else, trying to focus on anything other than the irritating sounds of a crying child.

 _I'm trying to think here goddamn it!_

 _CRACK!_

 _CRACK!_

 _CRACK!_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

I left the area, still invisible after telekinetically snapping the necks of the three devils, and I took a deep breath as I moved further across the streets. I turned my gaze around, realizing that I'd landed in the middle of what seemed to be a busy, industrial market. The cobblestone roads stretched onwards, along with thick, varying paths, and I realized that the environment had a very "middle-ages" kind of feel to it. I'd stepped into some sort of flea-market, filled with stands and shops and traders manning said stands and shops, whilst calling out to passerby's to purchase their wares. It almost reminded me of the central market in Whiterun.

It felt nostalgic. A part of me wished I had quest markers to tell me what to do, or where to go, or who to kill – or even provide me with a step-by-step plan to completing my goals. I'd originally decided to fucking slay all the dragons and take their souls, but I remembered what slaying Ddraig did to me and I didn't feel like having _another_ set of memories and souls fuck up my already messed up head. I often felt like I was Bipolar enough – so I wouldn't be turning myself into a person with Multiple Personality Disorder.

I noticed there were numerous guards on patrol, sweeping the environment and the air, no doubt in search for me. I decided that heading deep into the market was just asking for someone to accidentally bump into me and cause some sort of problems. I'd pass on that experience, thank you very much. I was invisible, not intangible. Although I _could_ make myself intangible if I wanted –

"Search for them!"

"The intruders can't have gone far!"

 _More_ fucking guards?

They were cannon fodder, but I couldn't afford starting a full on brawl in the Underworld and expect to just casually walk away from it. Apart from the Satans, there were other devils and people and an unending swarm of reinforcements present. If I _did_ start a fight, it would essentially be myself versus the entire devil race.

I walked away, using a particularly narrow street part to leave the densely populated area as I let my mind wander even more. Part of me still felt like a tremendous idiot for charging down to the underworld to kill Viser's master. I knew _why_ I did it, I just couldn't believe that I did. I couldn't get the argument with Viser out of my head. I couldn't forget her words, or her expression.

It was one thing to scoff and think "Suck it up. You're a fictional character I revived to have fun with" but it was an entirely different thing to actually _say_ it to the face of a person with an expression so… _broken_ , at that moment.

It was the same thing with Asia. I just… _couldn't_ do what I had in mind. She was not a person who deserved that kind of treatment. Real or fictional or _whatever_. I'd just… it'd be… _wrong_.

Was I… was I getting soft?

That couldn't be it, right? No – no fucking way. It was too late to start getting soft and playing nice and acting like I hadn't already crossed dozens of lines. Too late to start pretending to be some sort of fucking hero or noble character. I wasn't that type of person. Was I?

 _Gah! The fuck do I need to think about this?_

I'd probably need to kidnap someone or fuck some shit up to was off this feeling –

" _Are you afraid of being kind or something?_ "

…

That was something ridiculously stupid to be afraid of. How the fuck could anyone be afraid of being kind? Like – why would I? I mean…

I wasn't a good guy.

No, fuck that. I wasn't a paragon of virtue, nor was I going to claim to suddenly be Mr. Does-No-Evil. I was a selfish bastard who restarted a war because I was bored, killed dozens of school children because I was bored, murdered a boy for his power and made his zombie rape his mother. In a sense, I could possibly be as bad, if not worse, than a lot of the "devils" here.

My justification was that I came from another world. It was a weak one. A laughable one. It didn't excuse a lot of shit I'd done. But, it was still partially a justification. I still lived by _some_ type of moral code. I still fucking _believed_ that there was some fucked-up shit that I couldn't do and some lines I couldn't cross.

It was why I didn't bother just kidnapping all my potential waifus and then brainwashing them and screwing the fuck out of them. Because there were limits, there was a point where I had to fucking draw a line.

 _But why though? Why bother with a line?_

I knew the reason, of course. I wasn't an idiot. The very second I kidnapped all my waifus and brainwashed them… well, it'd be the end. _What next?_ Would be the next grand question. What would be my goal? My purpose? I'd have everything I supposedly 'wanted' from this world, and sure, the women and the sex would be fucking great and all –

But there was more to life than just that.

"What have I accomplished since I came to this fucking world anyway?"

Rescuing Asia, which, pretty much everyone did, so wasn't much of a big deal.

Killing some exorcists and scaring off Raynare's posy.

Killing Issei and stealing his powers.

Meeting Vali and telling him we'll fight in a month.

Intentionally kick-starting the war cause I was _bored_ after I stopped time for 40(+) days.

Burned down Kuoh Academy.

… It was a pretty fucking unimpressive list, save for the whole kick-starting the war thing. The fucking funny thing was, I wasn't even _trying._ I wasn't _trying_ to make waves or screw up the timeline. I just _did._ And without _trying_ , I'd already killed god-fucking-knows how many people and changed hundreds upon hundreds of lives.

What would I be capable of doing, if I actually _tried_? If I actually had a fucking goal in mind and actual steps in mind to accomplish that end-goal? What would I be capable of, if I had a clearly-defined Path-to-Victory?

I stopped and stood absolutely still.

"Path-to-Victory."

It was the name of a superpower from one of the darkest superhero-themed works I'd ever read. I didn't necessarily _have_ that power, but I _did_ have a spell which showed me the way to reach any single thing I considered a 'goal' regardless of distance. It was the spell I used to find this place, and also the spell I used to know that I couldn't leave the Underworld with the trains.

 _There's_ … _there's no fucking way… but… if this works…_

I needed a plan to get my goals. I needed to sit up, sit tight, and finally start getting what I wanted instead of fooling around. I doubted it'd work as well as I intended, but, I was going to try anyway.

" **[Clairvoyance]** …" I took a deep breath, and then charged my power. "… **[Boost x1000** ]."

My mind _exploded_ with knowledge. _Brimming_ with possibilities and unanswered questions, eager, fervent to find a solution to a task, to _any_ task, to _any_ goal that I needed immediately. And so, I asked it.

"How do I get _all_ my waifus?"

 _Step 1 – Conquer._

I blinked at the odd information. Conquer? "Conquer what?"

 _Step 1 – Conquer Everything._

* * *

XXXXXXX

* * *

He'd found her, like he said he would. Of course rather than finding a hotel or something similar, she ended up staying in an empty house, after, of course, knocking unconscious the annoying little brat that came home and met her within. Her master appeared suddenly, and without warning, as one second, he was not present, and the next, he was. He took off the mask on his face, and she couldn't help but realize that there was a large smile on his face. More than that, he seemed upbeat, cheerful, certainly more cheerful than he had been when he'd left her.

"Did something good happen?"

His smile seemed to widen even further. "Something _great_ happened."

She blinked at the unexpected response. He looked certainly… _different_ when he was cheerful. She pushed down the stirrings in her stomach. "Um… okay? What happened?"

"I've been hit with an epiphany." He said, smiling even wider, and approaching her. He lifted her into the air and swung her in his arms in a manner that absolutely mortified her in ways she couldn't explain. Despite lacking blood, she felt it freeze when his lips landed on hers in a loud smacking kiss as he practically cheered.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing? Put me down! That – I –"

"I'm going to enslave the devil race."

The declaration cut through the room like hot blade through gelatin, and she couldn't help but stare at him like he was insane.

" _What_?"

"Well, I eventually plan on conquering the entire supernatural world, but I'll start with the devils first." He placed her down, and she couldn't tell if he was joking or not. The fact that he was so cheerful about it bode unwell, and cinched it for her that he was, in fact, serious.

" _Why_?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Do I really need a reason?"

She thought it over. "Well, no, _but_ –"

"God is dead Viser. God is dead and his seat is ripe for the taking." He said, smiling. "I'll gladly be the person that takes that seat."

 _Oh shit, he really is serious_. "…how?"

"I've got a step-by-step plan for success. I'll need some stuff along the way… Annihilation Maker, Divine Dividing, the Sephiroth Graal, Samael's Blood – amongst others, but, it's going to all work out."

He smiled creepily at her. "Of course, you're going to also have your role to play in this."

She blinked. "Me? But I'm just –"

"My slave and current right-hand." He interrupted. "Just trust me, and things will work out perfectly."

How could she refuse? She couldn't even if she wanted to. Not that she did, but, she couldn't help but wonder what sort of plan could be utilized to enslave the entire devil race, or even further still, to conquer every supernatural faction.

"To begin… I'm going to have to go out and massacre a bunch of devils in this territory." She snapped her gaze to him. As with everything he'd said before, he was absolutely serious. He was dead serious about going on a literal killing spree.

"Will it bother you?"

"You're… you're asking me?"

"Yes."

Well, that was certainly new. "If I said it'd bother me, you wouldn't do it?"

He nodded. "Yes."

She couldn't wrap her mind around the concept. He'd… listen to her? Really? That was… she realized that she was put in a precarious position right now. The lives of people depended on whether or not she disagreed with the powerful Vampire Dragon Emperor. She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of _her_ possessing any sort of power like that.

"Well?"

She shook her head. "Most devils in the Glasya-Labolas territory are assholes. Even if they weren't, I don't really give a fuck about people I don't know."

"That's good." He nodded. "I need you to head back to the train station, hijack the Glasya-Labolas train, and set it on a path back to the human world. Things are going to fucking get wild for a while, and you're going to be my exit strategy. When you see the signal, start up the train, and don't look back."

"The signal?"

A malicious grin appeared on his face. "Trust me. You'll know it when you see it."

* * *

XXXXX

* * *

 _Step 1 – Massacre Devils of the Glasya-Labola Clan And Draw Ill-Repute_

The steps to "Conquer Everything" as I'd seen, began from my current location and brought into consideration what exactly I could do in the here and now to bring about the most effective results. I wore Miraak and Miraak's robe, casually walked into the middle of the market with different people staring at my odd appearance, and deepened the pitch of my voice as I cleared my throat and drew attention to myself.

" **For the Waifus.** "

 _CRACK!_

There was a lot for me to think upon, as my body moved automatically, and I haphazardly slaughtered devils left and right with [ **Telekinesis** ].

When I really thought about it, devils were not _humans_. They could _not_ be humans. They didn't follow a conventional human morality of good or evil. Their society was founded upon the practice of murdering virgins and eating babies, before a few of them decided to suddenly put up the veneer of civility.

"S-stop! P-please! I –"

I ripped out the heart of the begging man, and backhanded his body away, before using [ **Telekinesis]** to snap two more necks of some idiots who charged at me.

You see, most of the devils the casual watcher of the show would ever get to know, are High-Ranking Devils, or nobility. Rias and her family? Nobility. Sona? Nobility. The Heirs of the Pillar Clans? Nobility. Hence, as nobility, their baser urges and more ignoble aspects were hidden and kept on a tight leash, as compared to the lesser, average devil who had no need for such pretenses. These lesser devils such as the woman whose forehead I just lunged my fist through, and the man whose arm I just shattered, were individuals of negative value to the glorious human society.

"AHHH! MY ARM! MY ARM! MY ARRCK!"

"He's a monster!"

"Someone stop him!"

To prove a point, among devil nobles, we had the likes of Diodora Astaroth who'd clearly possessed an obsession with nuns, captured and did shit to them, and no one bothered to stop him. Oh, sure, they pointed their nose upwards in the air in some resemblance of disapproval, but it was more akin to a person being disgusted at another's manner of eating, than it was anything truly serious.

"SOMEONE! HE - !"

"MOMMY! MOMMY! I –"

Devils were fucking _Devils._ Not angels. Not pixies. Not sprites or harmless imps. _Devils_. In killing them, I was essentially doing the world a favor. I was _literally_ ridding the world of evil. In enslaving them and controlling their population, I was ensuring that the Diodora Astaroths and Rias Gremorys of the world would no longer prey upon innocent humans and prevent them from going to heaven. I mean, in canon, Asia would have ended up dying and going to hell after everything, simply because of the likes of those kinds of people. But, with my help, that wouldn't be an issue.

Or at least, convincing myself that devils were evil scum that needed to be eradicated was the justification I gave myself in order to proceed with ripping out the spine of a devil child and shattering the skull of a devil woman.

It's easier to kill people if you believe they're bad, you know? Much, much easier.

"P-p-p-p-please – I – I –"

By the time I refocused my attention on my surroundings, I realized that there were a _lot_ of corpses present. A lot of them. The street also had a lot of blood too. Funny how they bled the same red as everything else.

There was only one person left. A little black slave girl. I remembered the slave. She was the one I'd seen being whipped earlier, the one who was about to be gang-raped by three shady fuckers before I'd snapped their necks.

She looked sick, diseased, weak, and literally on the verge of death. I approached her, and she jerked back, obviously wary, I mean, I _did_ just massacre a shit ton of devils. I rose my hand to her, cautiously, before channeling my spell.

"[ **Grand Healing]**."

The effects were immediate. Her welts vanished, her skin regained some color, her thin, malnourished form began to change into something significantly more decent, and her wounds sizzled away.

Once I was done, she looked healthier than should have been possible. Her eyes turned upwards, filled with unspoken tears, and I stopped her before she could speak.

"I didn't do it for you." I said. "Here. Take this ring and this dagger. Get out of the Glasya-Labolas territory as fast as you can, and don't get caught again."

The Ring was enchanted with **Courage** and **Fortify Sneak.** The Dagger was enchanted with **Fear** and **Paralyze**. It should be enough to help her. At least, I hoped so. If it wasn't, that would be on her.

She nodded as rapidly as she could, and took the items I gave her without question. She seemed like she wanted to say something, but eventually decided against it, as she fled. The previously busy street had become entirely silent, save for the sound of a human child panting as she fled the scene of the massacre.

…

"…should it be so easy to end life?"

I couldn't help but wonder. On the downside, I also now knew for a fact that devils also shit themselves when they died. Why did they even fucking have excretory organs anyway? I mean, they didn't really rely on food for sustenance like humans did. But fuck it, I wasn't an expert on fictional anatomy, so who the hell was I to judge.

"There he is!"

"Get him!"

More and more of the guards that I'd seen at Viser's master's place surrounded the air above me, flying with their wings. No doubt, they served as both the fucking military and the police force here. They were irritatingly weak, for cannon fodder.

I rose my right hand into the air, taking a deep breath as I felt the power of the **Boosted Gear** run through me.

" **Boost x100: Gravity.** "

They crashed to the ground like meteors raining from earth. The sudden increase in gravitational force when multiplied by their descent was more than enough to kill another two… three? Three dozens of them.

Instincts I didn't know I had sprang to life as I felt the automatic effects of **Supernatural Reflexes** kick in, enabling me to jump backwards and avoid a deadly axe kick that landed on the spot I previously stood. Stone crumbled and cracked and the earth itself seemed to curve in on itself from the force of the attack, with web-like cracks emerging from the epicenter.

 _And finally, we move on to the next step –_

My attacker was a bald man dressed in an eminent, neatly-cut suit, and there was _something_ about him that made him seem familiar, as if I should _know_ who he was. He rose his hands, and the ground followed suit, sharp, _dangerous_ spikes of earth immediately sent launching in my direction like a hedgehog firing the full contents of its coat.

I dodged them all with the aid of **Telekinesis** and **Supernatural Reflexes** , only for my attacker to suddenly _blur_ and appear behind me, fist extended. Even with my reflexes, it took me some effort to _block_ the attack –

Only for his hand to turn into a monstrous club of stone the size of a Boeing 747.

The club smacked me like a god finger-flicking an insect, and I grit my teeth as I found myself crashing through building after building, my spine enduring punishment of walls, tables and debris – only stopping upon hitting what felt like solid metal.

My vision swam and my head rang, as I blinked forcefully to try and get a read of my environment. I was in a restaurant of some sorts, and judging by the fancy clothes, aromatizing smell, and numerous guests gawking at me, I'd been sent flying all the way to the "Upper District."

A young woman who was clearly a waitress stood shakily, staring at me. I frowned as I felt something warm and sizzling trickle down my forehead, forcing my hand to dislodge itself from the steel column and touch it. It came back with a nice, clear-green substance. I lightly tipped my Miraak mask, just enough to expose my lips, and placed the substance against my tongue, licking slowly.

"Huh. Nice soup. My compliments to the chef."

The patrons of the restaurant fled, screaming and screeching in terror. I almost chuckled at the sight. Now that I thought about it, this the first time I could actually remember getting _hit_ , by _anything_ , since I'd come into this world. The bullets shot at me while I was sleeping didn't count.

The bald man reappeared, manipulating the steel beam I was embedded to, melting it to liquid and solidifying it immediately afterwards, leaving me trapped with only my neck exposed. He _blurred_ forward again, his left foot turning to metal as it launched itself at my mask-covered face.

I reached out with my **Telekinesis** to stop him –

 **Satan Asmodeus resisted Telekinesis**

… _what?!_

 _KA-CRACK!_

I almost screamed from the whiplash generated by the kick. My neck _hurt_! FUCK! FUCK! It fucking _hurt_! Necks were not designed to snap back so suddenly!

Black, _writhing_ tentacles emerged from **Miraak's Robe** immediately after the impact, shattering the melted _steel_ , before latching on to the fucker's leg, wrapping around it, and slamming the man to the ground like he was Loki and I was the Hulk. The tentacle rose him up, and _slammed_ him down a second time, the impact bouncing the man's body off the shattered tiles of the restaurant like it was made of rubber, and giving me the chance to reach out with my right hand.

" **Vampiric Grip.** "

He shot into my grasp, my fingers curling tightly against his neck as I rose him high into the air, and smashed him down into the ground, a third time for good measure. It was the greatest Choke-Slam I'd ever executed in my life.

"[ **Paralysis].** "

 **Satan Asmodeus resisted Paralysis**

 _Motherfucker –_ " **Corpse Curse**."

His body went still, all except for his head, completely motionless. I took a breather, staring at my stamina bar to notice that it'd gone down just a _tiny_ bit, before regenerating immediately. At my feet, the bald, red-faced form of the Satan Asmodeus made for a rather interesting sight.

"You have made a grave mistake," Asmodeus snarled at me. "Killing my brother, massacring my people, setting fire to my home? I will hunt you to the ends of the earth and make you _suffer_. I will not rest until I have destroyed all that you hold dear and –"

"[ **Muffle].** "

Asmodeus' rant was cut off as I silenced him, which only seemed to make him get even _angrier_. I didn't pay attention to that, instead, I was focused on the words he'd uttered instead.

 _Killing his brother – setting fire to his home._

Wait, wait, wait… I'd killed the current head of the Glasya-Labolas Clan, Viser's former King, so that meant… Viser's former King was the Satan Asmodeus' brother.

Falbium Asmodeus, formerly, Falbium _Glasya-Labolas_ …

… _Wow._

I'd thought he was just some nameless mook whose death wouldn't affect anyone – but to _think_ that he was the sibling of a Satan –

Did my [ **Clairvoyance]** skill know this would happen? Had it known, somehow, that this was the bloody _territory_ of a _Satan_ , and that was why it instructed me to massacre his people?

Damn, that skill was fucking terrifying.

"MOOO!"

 **Supernatural Reflexes** kicked in, and thank the fucking lord for that ability, as the world slowed down to a crawl, enabling me to react as a _large_ blue bull burst through the walls of the restaurant, charging straight in my direction.

"[ **Paralysis]."**

 **Blue Holy Bull Kuyutha resisted Paralysis**

 _Oh for fuck's sake –_

I slammed my palms forward, literally grabbing the bull by the horn, and _still_ wasn't able to stop the creature's charge. I skidded against the fine red rugs of the restaurant, tearing it, then against the smooth floors, destroying it, and then against solid concrete, my feet going deeper and deeper into it as the bull's charge pushed me away from what was no doubt his master.

"I don't have time to deal with supernatural beef!"

I hefted the creature up into the air, my left palm extended forward. "[ **Fireball** ]." The explosion of heat and flames blinded and disoriented me for a brief second. I knew from the roar of pain that I'd successfully landed the hit, however –

Falbium appeared in front of me, _god-terrifyingly_ quiet, both of his hands looking like diamond stalactites. Unfortunately he made the mistake of thrusting it at my chest, and **Miraak's Robe** responded with a nightmare-inducing _spawn_ of pitch black tentacles that would only feature in the most depraved of Japanese pornography. The tentacles stopped the attack, latching on the Satan's arms.

 _CRACK!_

 **Satan Asmodeus resisted Muffle**

"GRAAAH!"

Falbium jumped backwards, both of his arms hanging limply by his side, clearly dislocated. The Satan panted heavily, his eyes burning with a type of loathing that was almost unbelievable to actually be seen tossed in my direction. I knew it from his eyes that attempting to make him stop in order to settle our differences wouldn't be possible, assuming I _wanted_ to.

Hell, even if I used [ **Calm]** or [ **Pacify]** to make him listen to reason, what sort of comedic argument would I have for my actions?

 _Oh, yeah, I fucking killed your brother because he was a piece of shit who pissed me off by doing bad things to my slave while she was his slave,_ wouldn't exactly be considered the best reason.

 _By the way, I also fucking killed a bunch of your people because it's a step on my path to conquer the world_ wasn't going to make things better either.

This was not a situation that could be overcome with casual conversation over biscuits and tea, and I searched over my cheat-ty path-to-victory to determine what my next move was.

 _Step 2 –_

I blinked as I read that step. Wait, seriously?

Falbium slammed his right shoulder against an iron beam, resetting his dislocated joint, and he turned and did the exact same thing to his left shoulder. He spun his arms around, testing them a bit, before his gaze finally turned back to me. The rage and burning fire in his eyes was still there, but now, there was a cold calculation to it as well.

"Who are you?"

I contemplated telling him the truth. I contemplated removing my mask and stating my name and purpose, but… I didn't feel up to it. I didn't see the _need_ to do it. Not really. They'd find out eventually, I suppose. Of course, I also held a flair for the dramatic, and I couldn't resist giving an answer in situations like these.

"I am…"

I remembered, when I'd first come to this world, I'd disregarded the goal of world domination because I didn't know my strength, and because I was wary of a nuclear Armageddon. I was wary of my own mortality, and I was conscious of my own weakness. Things weren't that way anymore.

Now, I'd begin to see some of the _characters_ as _people_. Living their own complex, difficult and rich lives just as I lived mine. I wasn't the shonen protagonist here, because there was _no_ protagonist. Each and every person was the hero of their own story, and their paths were interconnected and interwoven.

If that truly was the case… then there was never a hope for me to become some sort of úbermensh, arriving into the lives of women and becoming their central purpose for existing. Attaining my waifus and harem would never work with me trying to approach them from a romantic, innocent angle. They'd never buy it. I was too suspicious, too powerful, too unknown.

If I wanted them –

If I wanted _anything_ in this world…

I'd have to take them.

 _Conquer_ _everything._

Fairy tales often began with treacherous dragons whisking off princesses and besieging nations…

 _So it's time to live out my own personal fairy tale._

I took off **Miraak** , exposing my grinning face to Falbium Asmodeus without a single care in the world.

"… The Dragon that exterminates entire species."

Falbium scoffed. "Such arrogance. Do you believe you can actually kill me?"

"Were you listening to me?" I asked. "I. End. Species."

I charged a conjuration spell in my left hand and _another_ spell in my right.

"Yours is next on my list," I said. "I am declaring a war to eradicate all of you."

Part of me didn't believe he'd use the iconic line. It would have been sad if he didn't. But I suppose, there were somethings that people just fucking could not resist saying.

"A war? Waged with what army?"

I _grinned_.

"This one."

[ **BOOST x10000]**

" **[Conjure Flame Atronach]."**

* * *

XXXXXXXX

* * *

Everything was going to _hell_.

"He really _is_ going all out isn't he?" She cursed under her breath. The battle between Seth and Falbium Asmodeus had already drawn its fair share of fatalities. She'd seen him careen across the sky after being hit by a punch that sent him to the upper districts. She'd seen Asmodeus race after him, and she was glad that he'd given her the warning to get the hell out of the Glasya-Labolas territory. A fight between a Satan and a Heavenly Dragon was absolutely, _nowhere_ to be.

"Why did I have to be resurrected by such an impulsive man again?!"

Shockwaves reverberated across the earth as she did her best to run toward the trains owned by the Glasya-Labolas family. Knowing Seth, she wondered if this was actually part of his plan. For all of his tremendous power, her master tended to disregard his ability to think in the long term and just _did_ things he felt at the moment. He moved by instinct rather than by a general plan or goal, and it was one of the few things she generally admired about him. To immediately take action in the here and now, and to do whatever you felt you wanted to do, irrespective of the consequences.

She admired, and hated it about him the same time. Seth's lack of any real plans made him extremely unpredictable. They'd gone from having a bonding moment of conversation, to suddenly finding themselves in the underworld with her former King now dead, and out of the blue, he decides to wage war against the devils.

As she ran, she wondered if Seth would have still killed her King for her if he'd known who he was. If he'd stopped his impulsive stubbornness for one bloody second and _asked_ who he was killing. Would he have carried on with it anyway?

He probably would have.

He was like a true dragon in many aspects. Quick to anger, quick to protect what he determined as his, generally sitting back, spending his days either attempting to increase his hoard, or lounging around casually. He had nothing to fear from time or old age, and she wondered if that was why he never bothered planning ahead.

Then again, if he was not an impulsive person, she probably wouldn't be 'alive' to complain about it right now. It was only his impulsiveness that made him seek her out that night, and made him use that power of his that stripped away her ugly monstrous form. That same impulsiveness was the reason her stomach fluttered uneasily when she thought about him, even now. It was a boon as far as she was concerned.

She reached the trains in record time, even as the echoes of combat seemed to get wilder and wilder. To her surprise, no one seemed to be using them to flee. Then again, they weren't designed to be utilized by anyone except direct members of the Glasya-Labolas clan. No one seemed to be present, and she couldn't blame them. It took her little effort to find her way into the train, and get to the main control room.

"How do I operate this thing again?! Ah… damn it."

It had been years since she'd been on one after all, and it took her some time to find the correct labels. _Thank the fucking devil for simple labeling_ –

The machine was set and ready to go. All she needed to do was wait for the signal, _whatever_ that was.

All at once, she felt an explosive amount of heat.

"Hot! Hot! HOT!"

The temperature felt as though it'd multiplied by at least a hundred thousand times. Immense, _mind-boggling_ heat scorched her form despite being inside an insulated train, and as a Zombie-Girl, she was very, _very_ sensitive to the heat.

She took a gambit that this was the signal she was to wait for, and immediately started the train's engine, the vehicle begin to speed up. She ran to a passenger's car, glancing out of the window, and spotted a swarm of weird moving flames – only to blink a bit when she realized that the 'flames' were humanoid and feminine-shaped.

They seemed to hover above the ground with an eerie gracefulness, and horrifically, the ground they hovered upon turned to molten rock and magma from their presence. The individual heat of just _one_ of these flame ladies was capable of melting the earth and rock without even coming into contact with it, and there were hundreds… no, _thousands_ of them, just the effect of their presence was setting buildings and objects and _people_ on fire. Screaming, burning, yelling out for water or for mercy of some kind –

The sight that lay before her of molten earth and burning buildings, of elegant creatures of fire, and devils ablaze, begging and screaming for water –

"This… is hell."

It was the sight one customarily expected, the image normally evocated, when people mentioned the word: Hell.

She spotted him emerge from within the fiery miasma, magma rolling off his body like he'd taken a casual dip in a pool, and in his right palm, he held a charred body. There was no doubt in her mind as to who exactly the body belonged to. Her master rose it up into the air, and then neatly sliced off the head, which seemed to vanish into mid-air.

Then, instantly, he vanished from his position in the middle of the air. She felt a pair of hands snake around her stomach, and a soft breath tickle her ears.

"Boo."

She spun around, bringing her arms up, only to find the smirking form of her Masrer, clearly holding the charred head of Falbium- _fucking_ -Asmodeus in his palm.

"By the way… you forgot to tell me your king was the sibling of a Satan."

She couldn't respond, couldn't speak, and in lieu of looking at the charred head of a _fucking_ Satan. She swallowed. "Fuck me." She swore.

"I thought you'd never ask."

It was a memory she would not forget, the scent of the land of her former king burning to ashes, as a thick, pulsating rod slammed into her tightness against the walls of their hijacked train.

It wasn't a fairy tale romance by any means –

But she'd be damned if she didn't love it.


	14. The Devil You Know

**Author's Note:**

 **Most of you are wondering where I've been and what I've been up to.**

 **I haven't really been in a good place the last couple of months.**

 **This is usually the part where I tell you that I'm in need of help and give you my pat - on account, but I don't believe in earning money from writing fan fiction. I don't believe I should fucking get paid for playing around in someone's hard-built world.**

 **I'd rather create my own.**

 **And I did.**

 **As of last week, my novel _Janus and Oblivion -_ Book 1 of _The Nightmares of Alamir_ hit the Amazon Stores. Inspired by _Overlord_ and _I'm a Spider, so what?_ it's the reason I haven't updated any of my stories in a long while. I've been working on it between jobs and it's the first book in what will hopefully be a series of books. It's got a Paperback version - and it'd be cool to realize that I've actually made something of mine.**

 **I'd like to give a shout out to** **Wysrd, lubabpaul, Dominus1389,justlovereadin, CursedWriter69, Tsunashi777, eddy14, Gosster, Podge0303, nwordmuffin Beowulf Anarchy, Bolondka, Riftar Pokemaster, MKaius, Ascandas and everyone else who sent me so much as a "We miss your work" or a "You dead?" it gave me the unexpected motivation to keep on writing.**

 **If you'd like to support me, rather than donating to me for writing fan fics, please buy my book - _Janus and Oblivion_ , and it'll mean the world to me.**

 **Now, back to the story.**

* * *

 **Recap:** _Last time on How to Destroy a Universe: a Satan got beheaded, we discovered Boosting and summoning Atronachs turns you into Ains from Overlord with your own army, and there was some tension between everyone's favorite zombie-girl slave and our not-so-favorite protagonist. Oh, and Asia was adorable, as always._

* * *

 **Underworld**

 **Glasya-Labolas Territory**

"The fires at the food storage takes priority!"

"The battlefield fires take priority!"

"But –"

"Reinforcements _cannot_ arrive until the fires are quenched!" Another man roared. "All those with a water affinity! Quench the flames at the frontlines! Prevent the enemy from –"

A spear of fire plunged into the devil's neck as he spoke. His eyes went wide as his throat burned from the inside out.

"Retreat! Retreat! The enemy has – AHHHH!"

"Where are the water affinity users?! Where are the damned Sitri?!"

"My hands – my hands are melting – I – I can't –"

" **TSUNAMI!** "

She flew, in the air, roaring as much as she could, charging her magical power through her body. The sky became the sea. A wave of currents that would have Noah scrambling for a second ark approached from the heavens. Gallons upon gallons, enough to be the sheer envy of lakes and rivers.

"THE LEVIATHAN IS HERE!"

"DEVILS OF THE UNDERWORLD! RALLY TOGETHER!"

The chants of a thousand devils overwhelmed the crackling roar of flames. The cascading ocean of water descending from above sent many of their number, charging forward with roaring battle-cries, lifting their spears into the air and thumping their chests proudly.

Then it stopped.

The sky was an ocean, and the ocean began to sizzle.

Then, to the horror and screams of many, the ocean _boiled_.

"AHHH! AH! AH! AH! MY FACE! MY FACE!"

"SEEK COVER! SEEK COVER!"

The concept of 'friendly-fire' was not new to the devils as they scrambled away from satan's own flood. Yet, no one had ever seen friendly fire of this particular variety. The redeeming water they begged and pleaded for like the rich man to Lazarus did arrive, but it had not quenched them. No, the ocean of boiling water only sent them fleeing from the danger above, fleeing forward to their enemies who slaughtered them like senile rabbits tilting their heads in confusion at a butcher's blade.

Up above, Satan cringed. She panted heavily, sweat dripping from her form. Her clothes enchanted to resist damage from magical attacks of apocalyptic beings, shriveled up into nothingness in lieu of the heat. Her skin was a shade of red customarily associated with the cartoonish depictions of devils, and naked as she was, sweat covered every inch and nook of her body. Her hair clung to the sweat at the back of her neck, and she winced ever so often from the burns on her body.

She flickered her gaze away from the carnage she unintentionally wrought. She bit down at her lip and narrowed her eyes as she contemplated ways to end the perdition of flames provided by her enemies.

A sphere of fire the size of a dragon shot past her doing a flawless imitation of a shooting star. The heat burnt at her already blistering skin. She weaved out of the way of the attack, managing, barely to maintain her flight. Her expression was the only thing cold in the burning landscape as she faced her assailant.

The creature, feminine, beautiful in the manner of which red hot flames curved and carved around slender, delicate features. The body was made of what looked like superheated rock. Despite having a willowy waist and two mounds that gave it its feminine appearance, it did not have a defined face. Faceless, incapable of speech, yet, flames burning at its feet, the feminine flame demon conjured another sphere of fire, crackling and simmering to life between long sharp hands, burning with such a ferocity that the water-wielding devil could feel the heat as though it were directly before her.

The creature's heat alone was incredible, yet, when they began using their pyrokinetic abilities, their natural body heats rose to levels that went above and beyond 'incredible' and into the realm of the lovecraftian. Being near a single one of them was comparable to being at the depths of a volcano on the verge of eruption. And there were _thousands_ of them – _thousands_ of these feminine flame beings.

"Who are you!?" Leviathan roared. "Why have you attacked us?!"

The creature did not respond. Nay, the creature's response was the ball of fire unleashed that narrowed itself into a straight beam and aimed for the Satan.

Leviathan dodged at the cost of several singed strands of hair and a burnt back. Gritting her teeth, she _charged_ at the creature, summoning a blade of water and slicing horizontally as quickly as she could. The two severed parts of the creature fell, no blood emerging, but rather –

A mind-shattering _boom_ physically ruptured her eardrums as she let out a screech of pain from the new sets of burns that arrived on her back. The creature's parting gift, a sizeable explosion that illuminated the sky with a brilliant globe of infernos that would feature effortlessly in a collage of megaton explosion videos.

The blast sent her careening out of the sky, dizzy and disorientated, crashing into the molten earth like she was a wasp carelessly smacked into concrete. The hot, indescribable sensation of _burning burning burning_ was her sole saving grace, forcing her to take to the air once more. The damage however, was done, and she gazed down to her blackened, charred legs as she bit down on her lips and resisted the urge to scream in pain.

Normal flames wouldn't have affected her so much. Normal magma or molten rock would never be capable of reducing her legs into blackened husks. Her power and innate magical defense would have prevented such things from happening. However, these flames were not normal. The magma created were not normal. Her enemies, were not normal.

A fiery lance slammed into her stomach, her eyes widening as she felt her small intestine, liver, and blood boil rapidly. This time, she couldn't stop herself from screaming.

"Serafall."

Her vision could only vaguely make out the green-hair of the man who called out to her. Her eyes stung from the pain of her skin and internal organs being cooking within her body. The sensations stopped, pausing as a cold hand brushed over her skin. The hand continued downwards, brushing over her legs, and she realized that she was capable of feeling them again.

She blinked away the tears from the pain, not entirely trusting her voice as she gazed up at the green-haired man.

"J-Juka-chan?"

"Can you still fly?"

Her wings hadn't taken any damage, so she nodded a bit slowly. The Beelzebub glanced over her nudity without any bother, turning around and firing a beam of concentrated energy straight at three of the creatures attempting to flank them.

"Up. Now."

They were barely able to escape the range of the suicidal blasts, flying higher and higher into the air, reaching an altitude at which the creatures where incapable of flying at, and an altitude that would be easy enough to identify and dodge incoming attacks.

She took several breaths, exhaling deeply as she did, even as her heart pounded heavily in her ears and her hand unconsciously moved over to the area where she'd been struck. The area where she'd felt her insides cook like it'd had been placed on a grill for a family barbecue.

Her gaze examined the battlefield, the hellish landscape filled with molten magma and thousands of flame creatures burning away indiscriminately at everything in their path, making a straight charge for the enormous shimmering green barriers erected at the ends of the Glasya-Labolas territory. From high above, the heat still sweltered, and the enemy appeared like embers rampantly racing outward from the center of a burning leaf.

"The enemy's defensive prowess is weak."

She turned her attention to the Beelzebub. She noted, that he too, was lacking heavily in clothing.

"I've calculated their strengths. An overwhelming offensive capability. Body temperatures reaching thousands of degrees. Limited flight. High-Tier Pyrokinetic Capabilities. Self-Immolation upon sufficient bodily damage." Ajuka ticked off, one after the other. "Explosions generated from their death is in the range of several megatons, capable of annihilating a town with little difficulty."

The Beelzebub took a deep breath.

"They are a dangerous force. This army of ten-thousand could wipe out a significant portion of the devils of the underworld on their lonesome. I cannot fathom the manner in which they invaded, and unless I can calculate a method to prevent concurrent invasions… our numbers are not favorable."

She knew about his powers. His **Kankara Formula** , his specialized **Calculation Demonic Power**. It was a power specializing in creation, the exact opposite of that of his friend, and it was the power that enabled him to stand alongside the Crimson Satan as the only other _Super-Devil_ in existence. An honorary rank that went above and beyond that of mere High-Class Devils or Satan-Class devils. She was powerful, yes, but compared to the two of them –

"Mou… that doesn't sound good." She said frowning. "Can you tell us our odds Juka-chan?"

The creator of the Evil Pieces closed his eyes momentarily. "Eighty-six point nine two one four percent chance we survive this encounter." He spoke up. "Seventy-seven-point-three-seven-one percent chance of defeating the enemy."

"That's amazi-!"

"Forty-three-point-six-one-four percent chance we fare far worse in the next conflict." He paused.

She frowned "There's more of them?"

Slowly, morbidly, he nodded. "Ninety-eight-point-nine-nine-nine percent chance."

Nothing sounded so overwhelmingly morbid as that particular fact.

"Sirzechs is at the northern end attempting to prevent the enemy from leaving the barriers. He has little problem holding them back and eliminating them… but the majority of our forces are not capable of surviving the enemy's onslaught so easily. The heat is the major reason, as the temperature is…" Ajuka blinked. "…odd."

"What is it Juka-chan?"

"The temperature. It is _exactly_ 10,000 degrees Celsius. Often, it fluctuates to be slightly higher or lower, but it always seems to fix itself at that number: 10,000." The Beelzebub frowned. "The initial number of invaders was that as well. 10,000. There seems to be a pattern –"

A _force_ of pure magical power unleashed itself upon the entirety of the underworld with such abruptness that reality itself shuddered from the unexpected visitation. A _fountain_ of black and red energy swirled from a distant point, rising higher and higher into the sky like a shadow cast by cosmic giant.

"…he has decided to annihilate the enemies in one fell swoop." Ajuka said blandly, shaking his head. "We need to leave his range and strengthen the barriers as much as we can if we want to be able to contain the fallout."

"The fallout of the explosions?"

"No."

At the beginning of this battle, she'd unleashed a tidal wave of water to consume the enemy, to no avail. At the conclusion of it, she witnessed a wave of destruction scatter across the land, terminate everything, _anything_ , air, fire, heat, explosions, the very earth itself and _light_ – all of it sucked into the darkness – all of it _destroyed_.

When it was done, there was nothing of the Glasya-Labolas territory but an inky blackness devoid of matter. There was no sound, for sound could be destroyed. No gas, for it could be destroyed. No energy, for that, too, could indeed be destroyed by the nightmarish hell that was the _Power of Destruction_.

Nothing, but a dark space devoid of everything. A blot upon the otherwise perfect scape of reality. In the middle of that blot, the being with majestic blood-red hair stood, naked as the day he was born, unbothered and aloof to the surrounding nothingness.

She shuddered at his casual smile, the expression upon his face that she rarely saw, as the all-consuming master of destruction looked upon his work, and he was pleased. It reminded her, dimly, of the gap that existed between them. Satan she may be, but him…

He was a _monster_.

"Sera-chan, are you alright?"

She smiled a bit uneasily. "H-haha! I'm alright Zechs-chan! J-just… m-my skin is so sunburned from all the heat!"

They were friends. They fought wars together. Logically, she knew, she had no true reason to be afraid of him. He would never turn his power against his companions, and he would never hurt her. But when a man's sheer _aura_ spoke and whispered nothing but the complete and utter destruction of every atomic bond and every conceptual element that made you, _you_ –

It was easy to be terrified.

Right up until Ajuka smacked the red-head on the back of his head. "Idiot. You just rendered a good chunk of territory forever inhospitable. Do you know the amount of work I'm going to have to do to quarantine this area?"

The Lucifer did manage to appear a bit sheepish. "I didn't have much choice. It was either destroy them all or risk letting them break past the barriers and spread into other areas of the underworld."

Ajuka sighed, shaking his head a bit. "Not all of our forces were not able to evacuate before you went nuclear."

Sirzechs smile never left his face. "Would they have survived if I hadn't?"

Ajuka paused. "No." he said easily. "They would have died slow and agonizing deaths to the flames."

"I spared them that agony." Sirzechs said, still smiling. "We can tell their families they did not suffer in their final moments. Isn't that right Sera-chan?"

Serafall forced herself to smile. "R-right."

"We're down a Satan."

The announcement cut into the 'jovial' air rapidly. The Beelzebub and the Lucifer gave each other looks, before nodding. There was a synergy there that she couldn't understand, couldn't even begin to interpret, as the duo had long generated their means of silent communication to a mastery since they were infants. It was a level of trust and understanding that she admittedly _wished_ she had with someone. She did not. Not with her sister. Not with Grayfia. Not with anyone.

"We contain the information." Ajuka said. "Letting the world know that one of the Satans died in combat against unknown, unestablished assailants would be ill-advised. The Angels and Fallen are seeking a reason to attack, and news of Falbium's death might give them delusions of our weakness."

"Um… Juka-chan… people are going to notice that Fal-kun wasn't here."

"He is engaging in a classified mission to determine the source of the infiltration and gather further information about the origins of the invaders." Ajuka said without missing a beat. "Unfortunately, he will be cornered by an enemy commander and sacrifice his life to provide us with valuable intel. His memory will be honored, and his martyrdom will be acknowledged."

She wanted to swallow a bit. Contrary to the public belief that all the members of the Satans were best of friends who would always defend each other like the true companions of her favorite shows… the reality was a bit different. Falbium was the oddball amongst the Satans, he was certainly stronger than _her,_ but his strength paled in comparison to that of the Super Devils, Sirzechs and Ajuka.

Ajuka was a genius. The man single-handedly responsible for aiding in the repopulation of their race with the invention of the Evil Piece System. A perfectionist with sociopathic tendencies who was driven purely by his goals of studying and learning and tinkering with matter. His ability to use his **Kankara Formula** to calculate _anything_ often meant he was the smartest person in the room, and with his immense magical power, he was often the strongest. That was why he was Sirzechs' rival.

But Ajuka didn't really care for anyone in the world (or the world in general) other than Sirzechs. He only _became_ the Beelzebub… _because of Sirzechs_. He 'cared' for her _because_ of Sirzechs. Because Sirzechs was the type of person born from the Gremory Clan, a clan of devils who were 'nicer' and 'more compassionate' than most, Ajuka followed sway underneath his friends' methods. Sirzechs cared for her, and hence, Ajuka would try to 'care' for her in order not to annoy his friend.

She knew if Sirzechs were ever to give the order 'kill Serafall,' Ajuka would only hesitate not because he was averse to it, but because it would be irritating to formulate a viable tale to the underworld as to why one Satan killed another.

The fact that neither of them seemed all too bothered by Falbium's death did somewhat discomfort her. From Ajuka, she expected it, he was a devil who rarely saw the purpose of generating such attachments… but from Sirzechs?

"Serafall."

The sudden sound of her name shook her. "A-ah? Y-yes?"

Ajuka frowned. "You have been out of sorts lately. Are you still worried about what happened to your sister?"

The memory of it was enough to sour her mood and darken her face instantly. She wasn't the only one, as Sirzechs' expression _flickered_. "My sister lost her precious peerage members," the Lucifer said. "When the summit holds… I'll be demanding retribution."

"As long as you refrain from doing something that starts another war. _We_ might be able to fight a war on two fronts, but the rest of the Underworld most certainly cannot." Ajuka said with a sigh. "I wish you'd left at least one of the invaders alive so I could examine them."

The Beelzebub made a strange movement of putting his hands at his sides.

"…I desired to put my hands in my pockets, but naked beings can't do that it seems. I should modify my epidermis in case of such a scenario next time."

They were, indeed, naked, flying over a large pit of nothingness, which, seemed to be the rather appropriate time for numerous floating demonic cameras to spring into the air and begin videoing and capturing them.

Ajuka readied his hand to blast them, only to be stopped by Serafall.

"We just fought off a major invasion Juka-chan." She said. "We can do with giving the people a little fanservice."

Ajuka gave her a long, bland look, before sighing. "If I hear tales about young devils using these photographs for group sexual activities…"

She blinked. "I thought you didn't care about such things."

"I do not." Ajuka explained. "Grayfia does."

Serafall turned, and she realized indeed, most of the cameras were locked on Sirzechs and herself. "…oh."

The Sirzechs Lucifer Army Veterans Eternal Slaves would have a field day with this. She only hoped Grayfia understood. Rabid fangirls were a sign that her husband was desirable. Right? Right… Grayfia would understand.

"Zero point zero zero zero eight seven percent chance of what you're thinking about coming to pass."

Her brow twitched. "Juka-chan… have I mentioned how much I hate you sometimes?"

"Seventy nine times in the past century."

"…Thanks, Juka-chan, that makes me feel so much better."

* * *

XXXXXXXX

* * *

 _On the sixteenth day of the eleventh month of the year 8852 N.D.E of the Gehenna Calendar, an unknown intruder broke into the underworld through the Gremory train system from the human realm. Sometime during this encounter, an army of approximately ten thousand female humanoid demonic beings possessing immense pyrokinetic powers appeared within the Glasya-Labolas territory and annihilated the entire population of thirty-six thousand devils._

 _With the aid of Sirzechs Lucifer-sama and Ajuka Beelzebub-sama, the 10,000 Demon Army was effectively defeated. Three thousand and ninety-seven devils died due to exposure to the heat which has been confirmed to have reached ten thousand degrees Celsius. An additional six hundred and nineteen devils died as collateral damage from the explosions generated upon defeating the demonic beings._

 _Little is known so far about the invader or his motivations, and even littler is known about the Demonic Army and the methods they utilized to enter the underworld. The remaining Satans have therefore declared a search with a massive reward for anyone capable of providing information on the invader, and have subsequently proceeded with the mobilization of troops for war. The Supreme Council of Devils had this to say –_

The Television screen went blank. A dark-haired girl sat up, groggily managing to narrow her eyes and rub the side of her forehead. The information was almost too much for her too handle. How? An _army_ had invaded the underworld –

It felt only like yesterday, her greatest concerns were managing the Student Council and trying to ensure that the Perverted Trio did not cause wanton chaos in their blatantly obscene desires for sexual gratification. She shook her head merely thinking about it. Events seemed to be occurring, one after another, spiraling faster and faster, tipping as if they were the final dominoes on a pile-up that had long been started.

The destruction of Kuoh Academy seemed like a trifling matter in lieu of this sudden invasion. Yet, there was something, _something_ telling her that there was a connection between the events. The attack on her school, the horrific memory of the sheer madness in the eyes of Freed Selzen –

"Kaicho."

Her vision turned to the sight of her Queen. Dressed in her uniform, ever as smart and as neat as she remembered. Although, there was concern in her eyes. It was understandable, after all, she _had_ endured a somewhat harrowing ordeal before being pushed to the brink of death.

Even now, she felt the phantom sensations of something clogging her throat, preventing her from being capable of breathing, suffocating her as she clawed and grasped and –

"I brought you your tea, kaicho."

She blinked. Nodding, but not speaking, as she glanced at the steaming cup.

"In case there is anything you need to talk about… I am here for you, Kaicho."

She understood the sentiment. She understood the intent behind it. Yet, she could not accept it. It burned at her. Irritated her. Somehow, they believed she was 'traumatized' by the incident.

She was not.

Nothing had happened. So what if an insane exorcist had shoved his phallus into her mouth and the offending object had gotten stuck in her throat and nearly suffocated her to death? Regardless of how demeaning it was to have nearly died from such a thing, it was not as though she were sexually humiliated and used as a tool of some fool's gratification. Her 'purity' had not been soiled or whatever nonsensical drivel people believed occurred to young women like herself unfortunate enough to have been on the receiving end of an attempted assault.

The rumors that circulated across the underworld stating that she'd been 'scarred' and 'ruined' and was nothing more but 'spoilt goods' served to peeve her more than anything else. Her peerage and family tip-toeing about her and acting as though she were a fragile egg on the cusp of breaking did not do her any favors either.

Nothing. Had. Happened.

She was not 'traumatized' for there was nothing to be traumatized about. It was in the heat of battle, and she already consciously knew the unfortunate fate that befell female combatants across the world where they to fail. If anything, she fought more valiantly and bravely than most.

"Kaicho. You… you can talk… to me. To anyone."

Of course she could talk. That much was obvious. She could, she just did not see the need to. It was not as though when she opened her mouth, and willed her vocal cords to create sounds, she hesitated out of uncertainty. She knew, that it was gone, the object blocking her throat was long gone, and she was not choking, not suffocating and attempting to scream and beg but being unable to utter sounds in lieu of her throat being occupied. No – of course not.

She was not _traumatized_.

The very concept of a _devil_ exhibiting symptoms of post-traumatic-stress-disorder was laughable. Pathetic. Utterly and completely disgraceful. Such a diagnosis was meant for human war veterans or rape survivors. She was neither of those things. She was a _devil_ , a strong one – and she would not be oppressed by a singular past event in her relatively long lifespan.

So what if she came tremendously close to dying without being able to as much as scream or beg? That was in the past. She was past it. As such, she would prove it.

"T –" she swallowed heavily. "T –".

Two words. Two simply words. She grit her teeth as she tried to force her mouth into the proper shapes to articulate the sounds.

"T –"

Her stomach churned heavily.

"Tha –"

Her throat felt obstructed. Blocked. Choked. She reached immediately for the cup of tea, caring little for its temperature as she gulped it down as rapidly as possible. _Swallow – swallow – swallow –_

She finished the contents instantly. Her throat burned from the heat of the liquid, but it felt free. It felt _unobstructed_. It was not constricting her or choking her.

She inserted two fingers down her throat to be sure. Just to be sure. She had to be sure there was nothing there. It was just a matter of being prudent – being as judicious as possible. So why, then, did her Queen give her such a look?

"Would you… like another cup of tea, Kaicho?"

Her fingers twitched a bit. She remembered the burning sensation down her throat. The tea was fine, but she needed something that burned hotter. That burned and cleansed and would eliminate the vileness from her tongue and her throat once and for all. She shook her head, and gestured to something else. Her Queen slowly, hesitantly nodded.

"A-are you sure Kaicho?"

She nodded.

"Very well. Would you prefer it chilled, or at room temperature?"

* * *

XXXXXXX

* * *

" _I swear to you Azazel-sama! I didn't know! I didn't know that Selzen was going to –"_

" _I cannot protect you Raynare."_

" _Azazel-sama please! I'll die – I'll die if you do what you're saying!"_

" _I gave you a simple task. Spy on Kokabiel. Report his plans to me. Sabotage his plans as possible. I could have used someone more capable, but I made the mistake of believing you were up to the task."_

" _It – it would happen again! I swear on my life! Please, please please give me a second chance!"_

" _Your name and the name of your companions will be handed over to the Devils to seek retribution however they wish."_

" _No – nononono – Azazel-sama! That's – that's a death sentence!"_

" _The very least I can do for you is warn you ahead of time and give you time to flee."_

" _There's nowhere in the world I can hide if the Lucifer and the Leviathan are out for my blood!"_

" _Perhaps. Perhaps not."_

" _P-please Azazel-sama! You can't do this to me – I – I – I love you! I –"_

" _And how does that change anything?"_

" _It – I – b-but –"_

" _Leave Raynare. I don't want to see you, hear from you, or hear about you. I never met you, I do not know you, and you do not know me."_

" _No! Azazel-sama! Azazel-sama!"_

"AZAZEL!"

Her eyes snapped open. Gone was the departing form of the most beautiful angel of them all, gone were his parting words, his burning rejection. All that remained was the slowly turning fan of a dilapidated motel room, the thick smell of musk and sweat, the heavy sounds of snores, and a cockroach skittering across the wall.

She sat up, both amazed and irritated at the sight of the two females beside her. Neither of which stirred the slightest from their sleep, instead, merely rolling over. Mittelt's naked form clung greedily unto Kalawarner's body, their legs entangled, as both fallen comfortably slept.

Her gaze turned around in search of the last member of their group, and she found him, sitting a ways off, a lit cigarette between two fingers, as his gaze locked unto hers. She frowned, uncomfortable at the unerring eye-contact.

"What?" she snarled.

He shrugged, taking a deep drag of his cigarette, blowing out a small puff of smoke into the room.

"Do that outside. I don't want to inhale your horrible smoke."

"You said we should all stick together and not separate under any circumstances."

She _had_ hadn't she? Of course. Because she knew more than anything else, that Selzen's disappearance had not been normal. That Mittelt's _pet_ suddenly losing his heart had not been normal. Someone or something out there had it in for them, framing them as they did. Regardless, there were other benefits that came to having her minions in close vicinity of herself always. The likelihood of escaping from attackers increased, if only a little bit, with their presence. She would sacrifice them to give herself a chance of fleeing or escaping from potential pursuers without a moment's hesitation.

Dohnaseek's gaze lingered on her form, and she shuddered at the man's eyes.

"I can practically feel you raping me with your eyes. Can you be any _less_ pathetic?"

The bowler-hat wearing Fallen shrugged again, and she realized that without his bowler hat, his dark hair was longer than she thought.

"Have you just been sitting there watching me sleep?"

"Yes." He responded without hesitation.

"That's pathetic."

Again, he shrugged. She found his usual lack of response to be more grating than normal. In lieu of the dream she'd had, the dream that was nothing more than a replay of actual events, of the moment she finally bared her emotions to the greatest man on the earth and watched as he dismissively disregarded them –

She growled as she dismissed the memory, rising out of the bed and unto her feet. Again, Dohnaseek's eyes roamed all over her form like a hungry panther desperately seeking sustenance. Irritated as she was, she moved up to the fallen, grabbed the cigarette from his hand and stomped it on the rug carpet of the motel.

"You're angry."

"No, really? What gave you that idea?"

"Is it because Azazel-sama basically told you to fuck off when you confessed to him?"

"That's none of your _fucking_ business."

"I know how it feels."

She laughed. Laughed, straight in his face. "Oh, do tell."

There was something in the man's eyes that seemed to lack mirth. "It's been over a hundred years. A hundred years ago, I was nothing but an inexperienced Fallen, barely entering his fist half-century. I met someone older, masquerading as a soldier in the Human War. She slaughtered and massacred left and right with a smile on her face and a laugh on her lips. She was carnage, personified. Beauty and bloodshed, madness and chaos."

Raynare frowned.

"She showed me what it was like to live. Within a river, while men died and bullets rained, she pinned me down, owned me, possessed me – drove me to understand what pleasure was. Deprived me of my will and stripped me of my inhibitions. It was my first time – and I wanted to do my best… but even after I tried, even after I gave it my all, even after firmly implanting herself in the most memorable eve of my existence, she looked down at me with apathetic eyes, and do you know what she said?"

No. She didn't. She couldn't remember.

" _I'm bored._ "

…

Dohnaseek let out a laugh. "So I know what it feels like, Raynare – to have your hopes crumbled and stepped upon like shit. I know."

She couldn't stop herself from avoiding his stare. "And even after that… you're still here, chasing after me."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because..." he hesitated, seemingly chewing on his lips. "Because I…"

"Because you… _what_?"

He said nothing, his gaze lingering on her, before averting from her and seemingly locking unto the ceiling. The fan. The floor. Anywhere but her.

She _laughed_. Laughed. It wasn't a small, happy giggle. It wasn't a snort of amusement. It wasn't even a chortle. It was full blown, disbelieving laughter.

"You're pathetic."

She spun on her heel and approached the bathroom, the door slamming shut behind her. A sole male fallen angel sat on a chair in a motel, reaching deep into his pockets for a cigarette, bringing one out, lighting it, placing it at his lips, and taking a deep, long drag.

* * *

XXXXXX

* * *

 **Underworld**

 **Gremory Territory**

" _It could have been you."_

Those words sprung up, uncertainly, and whispered traitorously within her ears. No matter as she retained her expressionless visage before the maids and servants of the Gremory household, as she was often patted slightly on the head and told easily that unexpected deaths were the bread-and-butter of those who served the mighty and powerful.

It could have been her, whose cooling corpse was collected as an afterthought, who was not even given a true, proper funeral, as her 'King' consistently declared that she treated her peerage like family, blamed herself ceaselessly for her loss, and yet, did not bother to ask how the death of one of her 'family' affected the others.

She sat in the large opulent bathtub that was provided to her, steaming hot water reaching up to her neck as she hugged her knees and gazed down at her reflection.

" _It could have been you._ "

The voice whispered again. It could have been her, instead of Kiba and Gasper that were dead. Rias seemed to 'mourn' by ignoring everyone and dedicating herself into some form of training, pushing past the limits of what she could do with her magic. Akeno, ever stoic, continued with the expected grace and elegance of Rias' _Queen_ , not, in the slightest, seeming perturbed by the death of someone that was 'family.'

Or maybe she was, maybe Kiba's death bothered her deeply, maybe it weighed down on the girl's conscience in the same manner that it did the sole Rook of Rias Gremory. If it did, however, Akeno would never show it. Her image was important, and her grief would formally bow and hide itself beneath curtains in order to preserve her dignity. Rather, Akeno attempted to console Rias and alleviate the girl's guilt, trying her hardest to convince the Gremory that the deaths of her 'family' were not as a result of Rias' own actions.

" _But it is her fault."_

The nekoshou frowned at the voice. It was her voice, but it was rarely ever so vocal. She wondered if it was because she had been ignored since they'd arrived at the underworld. If it was because she was treated like a child, patted, petted, and dismissed by everyone from the butlers to servants. Perhaps it was because she was a bit irritated at being overlooked, a bit vexed at being unnoticed. Or maybe it was because, she respected and liked Kiba, and she, too grieved for him, but unlike her King, there was no one to console her.

There had never been anyone to console her.

Not when her sister abandoned her. Not when their parents died. Not when she was imprisoned, enslaved and almost killed. Not when she was finally 'saved' by her current King, a little girl who acted as though the nekoshou's past had not happened, and who never attempted for one day to discuss and help the nekoshou come to terms with it.

She was not cold, or aloof because she found it amusing. She did not maintain a constantly unreadable range of emotional expressions because she was incapable of conveying joy or laughter or glee or desire or lust or happiness or envy or anger or rage or –

She _wanted_ to laugh. To be able to sing, and dance and stand her ground firmly or decry things she loathed. She wanted to look at her reflection and see more than just the same cardboard-dry expression staring straight back at her.

Mockingly, she gazed further into the clear hot water. Her white hair and blank face returned to her. The expression she'd worn ever since her sister left. The expression she'd worn ever since she stopped being "Shirone" and started being "Koneko." The expression she wore when she felt elated, when she felt distressed, when she grieved the loss of a mentor and friend.

Kiba understood her more than anyone else in the Occult Research Club. He understood being the last of a kind. He understood betrayal. He, too, mastered the act of masquerading his thoughts. He was one of the few people that did not treat her like a child or like a pet.

And she could not so much as shed a tear for his loss.

" _It's her fault_."

Maybe if Rias did not spend all day reading her Japanese manga and watching anime. Maybe if she had trained up Kiba to be stronger, maybe if she had constantly checked up on them, pushed them to the limits of their ability, ensured that they possessed both the drive and the power to overcome any enemy –

Maybe if she had actually done something to _earn_ their respect –

She shook her head slowly to bat away the thoughts. She slunk herself into the bathwater, unusually comfortable with the heat, taking a deep breath as she was submerged within. She was capable of harboring such thoughts in her head because no one expected her to harbor such thoughts. No one expected her to think for herself. No one expected _anything_ of her.

She was a trophy to be displayed; a rare totem to be collected.

" _Aren't you sick of it?_ "

She sat up straight from the bath, blinking her eyes at the unexpected thought. She turned her gaze, conspiratorially around the bathroom, ensuring that she was the only one within it. No doubt she'd heard the words, and it had been in her own voice, but she could not believe she had actually _thought_ of it. It was a stray thought. Just one, random seemingly stray thought –

And that was what made it so dangerous.

 _Stray._

She – she could not leave Rias. It was impossible. She would be hunted and searched targeted until she was killed.

" _Rias wouldn't do that. She won't kill you."_

She frowned at that argument, pursing her lips. It was a _possibility_ , but it was not one she could easily risk taking. Besides, where would she go?

" _The Red Dragon Emperor."_

The answer loomed over her head. It felt like ages ago, when they had gone in search of the mysterious man, and the overwhelming scent of _blood_ sickened her to the point of incapacitation. In lieu of all that had happened, she had forgotten. Forgotten about the note directed to her that she hastily swallowed in order to avoid drawing scrutiny. Forgotten about the overwhelmingly _dangerous_ individual who claimed to possess a sense of hearing superior to her sense of smell. Forgotten about the absolutely asinine fact that this being had somehow managed to place a message on her person despite her never seeing or encountering him. The message which hinted at something regarding her sister.

She shook her head dismissively. She could not go to him. She did not _know_ him. His motivations, his reason for even being remotely interested in her, or even his background. For all he knew, he was another person looking to hang up "the last nekoshou" as a trophy.

" _But he's strong._ "

There… there was no doubt about that. The sheer smell of blood on his form, the blood of _dragons and monsters_ that saturated his entire being spoke of inconceivable strength. Stronger than Rias by ludicrous margins. Stronger than Rias' father or mother – perhaps as strong as Rias' brother.

" _He can make you strong."_

Could he? She frowned uncertainly, rising out of the bathtub. As it stood, there was a war coming. War was dangerous, unpredictable, and as a member of Rias' peerage, she could be drawn into the conflict at any time. Conflict against enemies she could not win against, against foes that could potentially end her life easily… and Rias… Rias had not trained her.

No. Rias never trained _any_ of them. _Ever_.

Even if the girl were to suddenly change and decide to train them, it was too late. Kiba was already dead. She did not feel like fighting enemies for a master who let her own laziness cause the death of her 'family.' She doubted the effectiveness of any potential training Rias could offer. The Red Dragon Emperor however…

" _He can make you strong._ "

She climbed out of the bathtub, grabbing a towel. She knew that it was risky, it was dangerous, and it was perhaps, not the best idea, however, she could not help it. She _needed_ to become stronger. She did _not_ want to die. She did _not_ want to continue to be viewed through the lens of an exotic animal that purred indolently in the laps of its master.

" _Maybe… maybe… the Red Dragon Emperor…"_

She crushed the stray thought as it arrived. She would find a way to meet with him, but she did not want to get her expectations too high. It was a single meeting, one, harmless conversation.

" _With a tremendously powerful being who_ _overlooked Rias Gremory for_ you _."_

…

Koneko found herself slowly fidgeting with the towels in her hands, her gaze straying down to her body. Her underdeveloped breasts which only managed to possess small mounds which indicated she was female. Her flat, toned stomach and ungraciously tiny hips. Her legs, which were perhaps her best feature, strong, smooth and firm, yet still lacking in an overwhelming amount of voluptuousness that could be found in numerous other females.

Suddenly, she felt that meeting the Red Dragon Emperor was a bad idea, but for all the wrong reasons.

* * *

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **Underworld**

 **Wasteland**

"… _he's different."_ Vali allowed a minuscule nod. " _…I know you want to fight a strong opponent…_ "

The earth around them was dry and cracked. A marsh deprived of water and heavily abused by sunlight. Hills and other rocky formations could be seen off in the horizon. Nothing living could be found scurrying or skittering across the land. Such was the barren wastelands purportedly tilled endlessly by the first son of Adam, cursed forever until it descended into the pits of the underworld on its lonesome. Such a fitting location was suitable for their battle, with no civilizations or settlements for several thousand kilometers.

" _Vali… it is your decision as my host… but I feel I must remind you, the battles between Red and White Dragon Emperor will always end in the death of one."_

"Are you saying you believe I'll die here Albion?" Vali ignored the warm breeze as he felt his blood pump faster and faster within his system. "Have you so little faith in me?"

" _There are miracles faith can perform._ " The aged dragon said. " _Defeating him is not one of them."_ There was a long, somewhat tired sigh. " _Yet I feel you will attempt to fight and try against the impossible, no matter what._ "

There, perhaps, was the crux of it. _A fight against the impossible._ It sounded like an exaggerated statement when one examined it from an outside lens, yet, it was true. Even now, the warm breeze that blew strands of his hair away from his face and made his clothes billow were the mere residue effects of his opponent's presence.

The ground around the tall dark-haired vampire was boiling. Sizzling. Cracking and hissing like a venomous snake that had been stepped upon by an unruly hiker. The air around him shimmered with a burning haze that turned it visibly red. The man stood, his hands casually within the pockets of dark jeans, his gaze locked upon the form of the descendant of Lucifer with an unerring passion. Lightning crackled from his form, occasionally, twitching and blinking in the air in bright flashes like a legion of cameras endlessly capturing a moment of history.

One Month.

Their agreement was one month, and the man indicated that he would fight him with his all, holding absolutely nothing back. In the span of one month, so much chaos occurred in the world that made Vali realize that the man in front of him was the most likely cause. The Devils were fighting back an invading force of fiery demonic beings, the angels and fallen stood with baited breath wondering if there was any need for a meeting between factions, and instead thinking about how best to utilize the chaos to their advantages, and the supernatural world as a whole watched with baited breath and anticipation to know when the next war would start, and who it's combatants would be.

The man in front was certainly going to be one of them. Whether or not Vali would remain as one of the combatants would decide on this battle, a battle that was agreed upon a mere month ago.

"Once this battle is over," the man's voice seemed smoother, silkier, and definitely more persuasive than it had before. It lacked the previous general sense of apathy and easygoing nature that was almost reminiscent of young adult humans. If it wasn't for the same unforgettable magical signature, Vali would have believed he was speaking to a completely different being.

"We'll discuss your shifts."

Vali wasn't entirely sure that he heard those words correctly. "What?"

"I was thinking of getting a castle," the voice was angelic, _seductive_ , to a ridiculously annoying fault. "But I realized I don't need one. It'll be funny, when people realize that the world was conquered from a nightclub."

Vali prepared himself, pouring out his demonic power and unleashing the full might of his Balance Breaker. The White Armor of the English Dragon covered his skin, the helmet covering his face and eyes from view, as the magnificent blue wings emitted light and took him into the air.

"You're taking me too lightly."

The man, amidst the boiling earth and crackling lightning, managed a friendly smile. "The agreement was that I'm not to hold back."

"Yes."

"Attack first."

Vali hovered in the air, feeling his irritation rise with each moment. "Why?"

"If I attack first… it ends."

There was nothing else that needed to be said.

Speed was his strength. The White Dragon Emperor dive-bombed his opponent, tearing through the sky with an ear-splitting boom, his fist extended, the first strike in the combat between dragons that was certain to shake the entirety of the underworld –

"That was fun."

The man was no longer standing in front of him. Vali found himself inexplicably frozen, no, _paralyzed_ in place, his fist still halfway extended. He reached for his power, calling upon it to " **DIVIDE**!" only for nothing to happen.

No, something did happen. His hands fell off his body. Then his feet. Then his arms. Then his knees. He dropped to the ground, limbless, his mouth open to articulate a silent scream.

"So," the Vampire stood over him, smiling. "Can you make a cappuccino?"

* * *

XXXXXXX

* * *

 **Dead Man's Drink**

The club was a quaint little place. Dark curtains hung and contrasted with macabre skulls. The imagery of bats and skeletons fit snugly in the room along with the archaic mugs and pitchers, mosaic tessellated floors, and oddly enough, the stripper pole and stage that were currently vacant. Her eyes flickered over to the pole, painted over in the visage of the human femur. The stage, large enough for two. The chairs and seats arranged to face it, a group of salarymen eagerly chatting amongst themselves. Occasionally, they'd reach for a bottle or a glass of alcohol, drinking, sighing, unknotting their ties and freeing their corporate shirts from the bondages of their belts, and lean in, at peace.

She'd questioned, at first, the logic of even _coming_ here. She was a high-schooler, albeit one that currently did not have a high-school to attend. Laying on her bed, night after night, rolling from edge-to-edge with an albatross planted on her shoulders, questioning herself, wondering:

 _How had I escaped?_

How had she? How had she gone, from suffering the ignoble torment of her bullies, to the doors of the school, mere seconds, _seconds_ , before the flames that consumed it all?

 _Relax… there's no need to think about that now…_

Indeed, there wasn't. Her hesitation, her uncertainty at holding the coupon in her sweaty palms and taken uneven breaths as she pushed through the doors of the establishment had vanished. She did not realize when she removed the hood of her hoodie, sat comfortably at the bar, and felt ease and _warmth_ seep through her pores.

"Welcome to the Dead Man's Drink. What can I get for you?"

There was something odd about the barmaid. _Familiar_. As though she should recognize her. The hair was certainly different, and the clothes were risqué enough that she would never consider it, but there was _something_ there.

"I – I'm not actually – I'm underage –"

The barmaid gave her an odd look. Actually, now that she realized it, the barmaid seemed to be around _her_ age. Definitely a teenager. Dressed in fetish outfits that had _her_ blushing a bit at the skin exposure.

 _Underage, overage, just relax… no one cares…_

She found herself feeling confident, before managing a smile. "I guess… I'll take whatever's cheapest?"

The barmaid made a sound somewhat like a grunt. "I've got this coupon for a free drink."

She waved the piece of paper, sliding it across the smooth wooden feel of the bar, and making the young barmaid's eyes flicker to her. There was something in her gaze.

"Oh. It's you."

Her heart pounded a bit. "Me?"

The barmaid took the slip of paper. "Seth-sama is currently out recruiting for new members of staff." The woman frowned. "Viser-san is currently out on an errand for Seth-sama."

"Wait… who is that?"

"Seth-sama is the owner of the Dead Man's Drink. The one who gave you the coupon." The barmaid said. "Viser is the Senior Manager."

"Oh." She stumbled a bit on her words. "Well that's great."

A large glass was passed over to her. "On the house."

The barmaid left before she could protest. Another one took her place, serving drinks, and this time, she could _swear_ that the young woman looked familiar. If the hair color was changed a bit and a permanent scowl would be put on her face, she'd look just like –

"Hey Mura!" one of the customers called "Another one of that **Alto Wine**!"

"Coming right up!"

The barmaid's gaze met hers. Her heart raced. She felt glued to her seat. Her breathing slowed and her body –

 _Relax…_

Her muscles relaxed. She felt as though a soft breeze blew into the area. There was neither a need nor reason for concern, for chaos, even though the eyes were unmistakable, and even though it was undoubtedly Murayama wearing that skimpy outfit and acting as a barmaid. But hadn't the girl been registered amongst the names of the deceased? Her parents thought she was dead… didn't they? So why was she here, acting as a barmaid?

It – it didn't matter though. The bar… the bar was so nice… the air was relaxing, the entire place, it _**calmed**_ her, and for the first time, she wasn't overthinking or stressing needlessly about things. She wasn't worrying about what school she'd transfer into next, or her goals for the future, or whether she'd just drop out entirely and enter the porn industry. Well, not that her parents would approve… but… they… didn't… matter…

She reached for the drink, slowly allowing herself sip from it. It was her first ever taste of alcohol, and it burned down her throat, she coughed, awkwardly, as she felt a warm feeling transfer from her throat to her chest, and down to the rest of her body. She felt lighter, and at the same time, felt as though she'd taken a full cup of coffee. Her vision did buzz a bit though, and her mind melted into soft, gooey-mushy puddles of idle bliss.

 _W-wow… if I'd known alcohol tasted so good…_

"U-um… a-ano… excuse me… are you… are you the one looking for Seth-sama?"

She blinked numerous times to stop the haziness. Standing in front of her, was a clear foreigner, with blonde hair and brilliant green eyes. A white purse hung over her shoulders, and she wore a blue sundress that stopped just above her knees, a large, encompassing smile on her face.

Aika looked at the glass, and then turned back to the young blonde, and then turned her attention to the glass. She dropped the glass, and reached out, blinking when her fingers pinched soft skin.

"Owie!"

"W-wait… you're real?"

The girl huffed in a manner that was supposed to be indignant, but only appeared more unbelievably precious. "T-that's very r-rude! I'm real!"

Aika managed to rub the back of her head awkwardly. "Sorry, you – you just appeared out of nowhere and seemed so out of place I couldn't believe it, y'know?"

"Out of place?" the blonde girl tilted her head a bit.

"This – this is a nightclub. And…" and… and what was out of place here? Was there? Nah… maybe she was imagining things… this place was _soothing_ … "And… I… what was I saying again?"

"Ah! That's true…" the girl reached for something within her purse. "Um… can you – put this on?"

A small, metal ring. It seemed to glow a bit in the dark, and possessed engravings of the likes she'd never seen before. Still, there was no reason to turn down a perfectly good present from someone so cute, now was there?

She slipped it on to her right pinky finger, smiling at the look of it. "Huh… this looks…" Overwhelming amount of sensations and negative emotions slammed through her mind like a car through a solid brick wall. "W-w-what – what the hell?"

For starters, what was _up_ with the weird macabre theming? Why was there a stripper pole in the middle of the place making it hard to tell if this was a nightclub or a strip club? Why were the employees underage and dressed in fetish school-girl zombie cosplay? Why the _hell_ did no one seem to care about that fact, and _why is "Baby Don't Hurt Me"_ playing on the goddamned stereo?!

"Nothing – nothing in this place makes a lick of sense. Those cosplay dresses are _sexy_ though –" she slapped her cheeks gently. "No. Focus – focus Aika –" Her suppressed libido came charging through her mind and was almost already threatening to push aside more important thoughts. "Why… why are _they_ here?"

"Seth-sama says they were bad people who did and said bad things." The cute blonde girl responded. "He… um… well, he's making them… work here, to atone."

"He's _making_ them work here?" She couldn't believe her ears, also, she couldn't believe her eyes, the girl in front of her was _cuuuute_. Kawaii in such a way that Aika wanted to glomp her and cuddle up with her, and do some things that came up in her Shoujo-Ai manga…

She forcefully shook her head again. "How? They – they're acting weird… they didn't even _recognize_ me… and…" actually, no, it was more than just that, wasn't it? "This… this place… what is this place… all my thoughts were fuzzy and light… until I put this thing on –"

She rose up her hand, staring ominously at the ring. There was a nagging sensation at the back of her mind and an uncomfortable feeling that was added on top of it.

"Seth-sama's bar… he made it so people who come here would always be relaxed and happy!" the girl clapped, excited. "Seth-sama is so kind, though he doesn't know it."

 _Made it so people who come here would be relaxed and happy?_

"…er… how exactly… did this Seth-guy do that?"

"Seth-sama's a very strong vampire."

Aika stared at the blonde and realized she had encountered a rare, real-life 'ditzy-blonde' archetype. "A vampire."

The girl nodded excitedly. "But – but Seth-sama isn't like most Vampires! He's kind! And warm! And he offered me a place to stay and saved me and he doesn't even ask me for anything in return." Though her lips went down a bit. "Sometimes… sometimes I feel like I owe him a lot. I don't know what I can do for him to make him happy."

Aika didn't know what to say to the girl. "Um –" It was the only word she could think of, because as it were, she was still trying to wrap her head around the whole _vampire_ thing.

Maybe the girl was a Chuuni? Yes, one of those people who invented names of fictional attacks like "Dark and Darker" or "Ebony Darkness Demon Punch." Probably. The blonde girl was probably one of those supernatural chunibyou if she believed in _vampires_. Sure, Aika possessed her own fair share of erotic likes and fantasies, and sparkly supernatural romance _was_ a rather fun genre, but there _had_ to be some sort of limit.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I w-went on and r-r-rambled about my problems…" she tried to smile, though it came off a bit awkwardly. "U-um, Seth-sama says I need to talk with people my own age and make friends so I c-can b-be more confident and l-learn t-things…"

The girl hesitated, her face heating up a bit before she took a formal bow that was excellently performed coming from a non-Japanese person. "Ano – if – if it wouldn't b-be much t-trouble… would you… would you be my friend?"

"I – huh – wha?"

"S-Seth-sama said s-someone w-with a coupon would c-come a-around and t-that I s-should try to become friends with that person." She bit her lip. "I – I don't really… have any friends, other than Seth-sama… and I…"

"I'll be your friend!"

"Y-y-you will?"

 _Too adorable!_ She couldn't help it anymore, she reached out to the shorter girl, her arms wrapping around her long blonde locks as she pushed the girl's head closer to her chest.

"Oh you cute, cute little thing," she squeezed tighter. "I understand… I understand what it's like to be alone because of your passion, because of what you love."

"H-huh?"

When confronted with the potential possibility of the existence of the supernatural, one was not going to take it at face value, not without irrefutable proof. It made more sense, in Aika's mind, that the young blonde girl in front of her was a displaced foreigner with a heavy obsession with vampires, who lacked friends and was ostracized because of her clearly unorthodox passion.

Aika smiled at her. "I'm Kiryu Aika. You can call me Aika-chan, okay?"

"Ah – okay, Aika-chan. I'm Asia Argento."

"Oooh, you really _are_ a foreigner. Where are you from?"

"Ano… I think… Italy?"

"You're not sure?"

"Um when I – I was with the church. I-I didn't really l-learn about… geography…"

"When you were… with the church?"

The girl's face appeared somewhat solemn. "I'm a nun. I – um… I used to be a nun, before I was excommunicated." She perked up. "But – but it's okay! I'm glad things worked out the way they did. If not, I'd never have been able to meet Seth-sama!"

 _She even worked out a backstory like that?_ Aika mused, amazed. _A former nun, in a nightclub belonging to a Vampire?_ "Why were you excommunicated?"

She grimaced a bit again. "I um… I… used my powers to heal a devil. I didn't know… that I wasn't allowed too…"

 _Now there are devils involved?_ Aika was beginning to feel more and more fascinated with the girl's invented world. "Oh… I'm sorry."

 _Still… the person she believes is a vampire…_ Aika turned her gaze to the side a bit, keeping her attention on Murayama and Katase. To be able to keep them in line, keep Murayama in line, especially considering how haughty and arrogant the Kendo Club Head was, and the fact that they came from rich and influential families, either the man was richer and more influential, or worse, he possessed very damaging information and was blackmailing the girls into working for him. But for them to be so docile, and for them to pretend as though she didn't exist… could it… could it be?

The odd feeling she felt when she entered the bar… maybe… maybe it was a drug? Something that was sprayed on her person or in the air. A drug that made people feel calm… that… that had to be it, right?

The antidote must have been in her drink… but it took some time to work, so Asia provided a ring instead and made her believe that the 'ring' possessed some sort of effects to counter the drug.

 _They went to such extremes just to sell the story of magic and vampires?_

Aika was simultaneously fascinated, impressed, and horrified all at the same time. Could it be… that she'd encountered something extremely sinister here? Was this "Seth" person some sort of Yakuza or Drug Baron?

Was… was that how she was saved from the explosion at Kuoh? Drugged? A drug that knocked off some minutes of her memory? At first, it seemed insane, but it _couldn't_ be a coincidence that the girls bullying her just so _happened_ to be working for the same guy who saved her. Had they drugged her food before pushing her into the bathroom and commencing with their plans to strip her?

It sounded a bit like a stretch, _but what other logical explanation could there be?_

No doubt… there was something fishy going on here, there was something bad… and it probably had to do with Murayama's posy and this 'Seth' character.

Was… was Asia-chan, sweet, green-eyed Asia-chan, the unwitting, innocent victim, being used for her delusions by some evil megalomaniac?

"Asia-chan," Aika said, conviction dripping from her voice. "Don't worry. I'll save you."

Asia blinked.

"Eh?"


End file.
